The Characteristics of Donald Trump

Character and Power
Part 1/16

In the 1930s and 1940s, fascist regimes committed unspeakable crimes against humanity. Since that time, we’ve had to grapple with our own brutality, and seek out the root causes and — more importantly — warning signs of fascistic power. By identifying these markers before they become embedded in a political system, it’s hoped, we can prevent a repeat of the atrocities of Nazi Germany. As we turn away from President Trump’s performance and focus on his character, one thing becomes immediately apparent: the system is flashing red.

It’s been said that when fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the American flag and carrying a cross. Sadly, this warning is prophetic. Fourteen markers represent common threads among the fascist regimes of Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Chile, and Indonesia; President Donald J. Trump’s character demonstrates all fourteen. He may say he’s a populist. He may say he’s a Republican. But the reality is this: Donald J. Trump is a fascist.

Fascistic Characteristic I: Nationalism
Part 2/16

“From the prominent displays of flags and bunting to the ubiquitous lapel pins, the fervor to show patriotic nationalism, both on the part of the regime itself and of citizens caught up in its frenzy, was always obvious. Catchy slogans, pride in the military, and demands for unity were common themes in expressing this nationalism. It was usually coupled with a suspicion of things foreign that often bordered on xenophobia.” — Lawrence Britt

There is a difference between being patriotic and being a nationalist. Being patriotic is having a love of country, and feeling connected to others who feel the same way — that there is an alliance among patriotic citizens created by culture, history, emotional connection and yes, even politics. But the connection of patriotism is used to unite, not divide. Trump’s so-called love for this country is not love. He is using it as a nationalistic weapon to gin up his followers by making them believe he is patriotic, that they are patriotic because they follow him, and that anyone who disagrees with him are not patriotic; they are not putting America first, but “we” are. That’s weaponized nationalism. According to Madeline Albright in her book “Fascism: A Warning,”, putting America first is stating the obvious. No president has ever had a policy of putting America second. But it’s how Trump conceives the advancement of America’s interests that separates him from every modern president. Trump sees the world as a battlefield, much like the business world where rival developers work to ruin each other and maximize profits at all costs. Advancing America’s interest is an us vs. them; a dog-eat-dog; a Rocky Balboa defeating the Soviet enemy-type image and thinking, instead of how every other post-World War II president has approached advancing America’s interests: through diplomacy and cooperation.

On multiple occasions Trump has claimed that he alone can fix things — whatever “things” are at the forefront of his mind. With this strongman attitude, he convinces his followers that he has their back, that he is making every decision for them, and wrapping it around a banner of Nationalism: A catchy slogan on a red hat (although running for a 2nd term with the same slogan as 4 years ago does seem like he’s running against himself, doesn’t it?); hugging flags at political rallies; political ads that say he supports the military (even though recently we have heard the opposite from several sources that he’s called members of the military who were injured or killed in battle “losers”; and that his recent ad supporting the US military had pictures of Russian MiG-29 fighter jets and soldier silhouettes carrying AK-74 assault rifles, which are not standard-issue for the US military). He has both praised and publicly disparaged China on trade deals and the coronavirus pandemic; he attempted to ban Muslim travelers from entering the United States soon after he was elected; he has used migrant caravans and US citizen protestors to scare his followers into thinking their way of life is threatened; and he has encouraged his followers to mobilize and arm themselves to defend themselves from these perceived threats. Fascist leaders like Hitler and Mussolini used the same tactics when mobilizing their followers and coming to power in the 1930s: the use of fervent nationalistic pride, well beyond the connectivity and unifying power of patriotism, to draw the line between “us and them,” by driving their followers to believe that those who disagree with their “love of country” are not only against their country, but against them and their leader. The words and images used today by Trump are not unlike what was used by the Fascist dictators in 1930s Europe.

Fascistic Characteristic II: Disregard for Human Rights
Part 3/16

“The regimes themselves viewed human rights as of little value and a hindrance to realizing the objectives of the ruling elite. Through clever use of propaganda, the population was brought to accept these human rights abuses by marginalizing, even demonizing, those being targeted. When abuse was egregious, the tactic was to use secrecy, denial, and disinformation.” — Lawrence Britt

The Trump administration, and therefore Donald Trump himself, have aligned themselves with infamous dictators of the past and present in their blatant disregard for human rights both in the United States and abroad. While one can argue that past presidents have also knowingly supported leaders and efforts that violated human rights around the world, since 2016, the United States government has produced an uptick in initiatives and policies that directly diminish the rights of certain groups of people — especially people of color, non-citizens, and immigrants of color. This “otherizing” is seen and heard throughout the Trump administration at every turn, and he supports the dehumanization of people who don’t look, talk, behave, and believe like he and his followers. The following examples are but a small sampling, of a very long list of Trump administration policies, initiatives, and Trump’s direct public support to the persecution, division, separation, and even mutilation and killing of those he seeks to demean, dehumanize, and otherize in order to maintain support from his followers, and keep in good standing with the dictators and authoritarian leaders in the world.

Inside the U.S.

• Communities of Color

The US has the highest rate of incarceration in the world, with 2.2 million in jails and prisons and another 4.5 million on probation as of 2017 (Human Rights Watch), and people jailed or in probation are disproportionately represented by people of color. Black women are incarcerated two times as often as white women, and the prison population of Black men is six times higher than white. The Trump administration has done very little to reduce the incarceration rate of people of color, and Trump himself has declared himself the “law and order” president, which has often been bookended with his support of police using any tactics necessary to stem what he calls violent protesters and thugs — a racialized trope — in the “democrat-led” cities where recent protests have been held, mostly peaceful, in response to police violence against people of color. Trump has even gone as far as to support his right-wing supporters like Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year old boy who drove from Illinois to Kenosha, Wisconsin with his long-gun and murdered 2 people while supposedly “defending” a business. (NPR).

Trump and his administration have supported the restriction of health care to those who need it most: people in poverty, again overly represented by communities of color. This year, he and his administration have targeted key language in the Affordable Care Act to restrict access to Medicaid and have funded states who have imposed work requirements, drug testing, and other barriers to accessing Medicaid. (Human Rights Watch)

• LGBTQ & transgender Community

The Justice Department, which is essentially working for Trump and not the American people, argued last year that Title VII of the Civil Rights act does not provide protections to LGBTQ and Transgender employees against employment discrimination. (Trump Administration Human Rights Tracker)

In Jaunary of this year, the Supreme Court upheld Trump’s ban on transgender service in the military while litigation was underway in lower courts. Similarly, Trump’s Department of Health and Human Services proposed in May of this year to narrow the definition of sex discrimination, which would permit insurance companies and health care workers to discriminate against transgender patients. (Human Rights Watch)

Immigrants & Migrants

On January 31 of this year, as the global Covid-19 pandemic was spreading, Trump announced an expansion of his Muslim ban, adding 6 new countries to the list, prohibiting those who might be seeking aslyum, seeking opportunities, or seeking to reunite with family already in the United States. (The Leadership Conference on Human Rights)

January, 2020 continued to be a big month for violating the rights of immigrants and migrants for Trump and his administration. This was also the month that he implemented the “Migrant Protection Protocols,” which returned all asylum seekers entering from the southern border to return to Mexico and await their pending claims. Again, during the start of a global pandemic, Trump has sent tens of thousands of asylum seekers, who are legally permitted to remain in the United States while their cases are pending, back to border cities in Mexico that are still unequipped and unable to handle the housing and sanitation needs, nor can adequate supplies of food and medical care be provided. Covid-19 has spread like wildfire through these migrant enclaves as they await entry into the US. (Human Rights Watch)

There have been many unfair, inhumane practices and policies put in place by this administration regarding the safety and treatment of immigrants seeking safety and opportunity in this country. Two incidents, one made infamous and one that has recently come to light, stand out as the most egregious. First the infamous: Trump’s support of family separation at the border and putting children in cages and jail-like cells away from their parents. Families are still not reunited, with some children being sent off to other states without their parents, to be fostered and even adopted by unknowing families, or reunited with unknown family members. (Associated Press) Children too young to describe what happened, too young to articulate that their parents are still in Texas or Arizona. Children forced to then stand trial at their own immigration hearings. These reports are scattered throughout reputable news sources over the years since Trump assumed office in 2017. And while other presidents, including Barack Obama, have cracked down on illegal entries and deported many undocumented immigrants, Trump and his administration have taken this issue to an entirely new, and altogether inhumane level.

Just last week, multiple women in an ICE detention facility in Georgia came forward in a whistleblower complaint describing being subjected to unwanted gynecological surgeries that included hysterectomies and other procedures that left them sterile. One of the women, who had received a hysterectomy, had her deportation hastened and was almost put on a plane just days before the allegations came out. (NPR) Congress has promised swift intervention and investigation into these incidents, and, of course Trump officials deny any of this occurred.

Support of Human Rights Abuses Abroad

Trump’s support of Israel’s occupation of Palestinean territories and declaring Israeli settlements to not violate international humanitarian law has put the United States outside international consensus of the Israeli-Palestinean conflict. In March of 2019, Trump signed a proclamation declaring the Golan Heights, which is Palestinean residents have received international human rights protections, a part of Israel. (Human Rights Watch)

In an effort to salvage souring economic ties and to score some new trade deals with China, Trump has refused to label the brutal repression of the Uighurs, a Muslim ethnic minority in Northwestern China, that includes concentration camps where Uighurs are being “reeducated,” genocide, and he has even refused to even publicly denounce the Chinese government. For the record, Uighur rights groups in the US have accused the Chinese government of torture, forced women to have abortions and/or other forced sterilzation, inhumane living conditions at the camps, and an overall effort to erase this Muslim ethnic group from existance. (Politico)

Speaking of concentration camps, North Korea has a notorious historical record of detaining, starving, and killing political dissenters and those who try to escape the repressive country and it’s cult-like regime. Trump has, on multiple occasions, called Kim Jong Un his “favorite dictator,” and has described the “love letters” that have been sent between them. Trump has denounced none of these inhumane practices for reasons that are unclear. North Korea is a nuclear threat to the region, provides nothing for the United States, and they do not reflect our historic domestic and international values. Kim is not a friend to anyone, yet Trump thinks he has one in Kim. (CNN)

Historically, Facist dictators have gone to even greater extremes in their violation of human rights. While Trump does not have concentration camps like Hitler had in Germany, Poland, and elsewhere intended for the systematic extermination of Jews in the 1930s; while Trump is not rounding up and routinely executing ethnic and religious minorities in the thousands and millions like Milosevic in the 1990s, Trump has done and said nothing to denounce similar practices abroad and he has actively supported the suppression of rights and the repression of minority groups in the United States. Thus, his personal character satisfies this second element of Fascism.

Fascistic Characteristic III: Identification of Enemies as a Unifying Cause
Part 4/16

“The most significant common thread among these regimes was the use of scapegoating as a means to divert the people’s attention from other problems, to shift blame for failures, and to channel frustration in controlled directions…Active opponents of these regimes were inevitably labeled as terrorists and dealt with accordingly.” — Lawrence Britt

While Donald Trump’s political life has by and large been marked by disarray, confusion, and chaos, three constants have emerged: Donald Trump uses perceived enemies to channel and focus the energy of his base; Donald Trump identifies scapegoats upon whom to shift blame for his failures; and Donald Trump labels active opponents of his administration as terrorists and enemies of the people;

Trump’s metamorphosis from business to politics was dependent on — and drew strength from — his amplification of conspiracy theories regarding President Barack Obama’s citizenship. Through a series of Tweets, interviews, and public statements Trump cast Obama as a Manchurian candidate: a Muslim born in Kenya who deceived the American people for unknown and nefarious reasons. During his 2016 campaign, Trump repeatedly pointed to illegal immigrants as an enemy threatening the life blood of the country, and made the construction of a wall between “us” and “them” a core component of his case for the Presidency. While serving in office, the President has shifted to focus on a new, shadowy enemy plaguing the American people: the “deep state”. Neither Barack Obama nor illegal immigrants represent existential threats to America, and there is no “deep state” conspiracy against Donald Trump. But the invocation of an enemy — a dark force unmasked by the President — channels and motivates the political energy of Trump’s base. Trump’s latest spectre is a “socialist agenda” intent on “demolishing” the American dream.

When faced with failure, the President turns to scapegoats as a way to shift blame. Nowhere is this more apparent than in his deflection of responsibility for his failure to manage the COVID-19 pandemic. Early in the crisis, Trump blamed the Obama administration for his own failures to rapidly ramp up COVID testing. As the crisis spiraled out of control, Trump turned to blaming China for not stopping the virus before it reached the United States (reversing course from his early praise for China’s response). As criticism continues to mount on his administration for the unusually high infection and mortality rates in the United States, Trump has shifted his attack to Democratic governors, saying that blue states are to blame for the nation’s poor performance.

Perhaps most frighteningly, active opponents of Donald Trump are, with regularity, labeled as enemies of the people and domestic terrorists. Trump has repeatedly dubbed the media “the enemy of the people” in response to unflattering portrayals of his administration. In 2019, Trump retweeted a post declaring all Democrats “true enemies of America”. And, in perhaps his most sustained and public attack, Trump has labeled Americans protesting police violence throughout the country as “anarchists” and “domestic terrorists.”

The frightening reality is this: Donald Trump uses the concept of enemies much the same way that fascistic leaders who came before him did: to focus supporters, to deflect blame, and to establish grounds for — at best — the neutralization of opponents and — at worst — their extraction from society. The system of flashing red: Donald Trump is a fascist.

Fascistic Characteristic IV: Military Supremecy
Part 5/16

“Ruling elites always identified closely with the military and the industrial infrastructure that supported it. A disproportionate share of national resources was allocated to the military, even when domestic needs were acute. The military was seen as an expression of nationalism, and was used whenever possible to assert national goals, intimidate other nations, and increase the power and prestige of the ruling elite.” -Lawrence Britt

“Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized.” This quote by Lawrence Britt sets the stage when discussing Trump’s fascist tendencies surrounding our nation’s military. What this post does NOT concern is our view’s of our soldiers: those who have put on the uniform to serve this country both stateside and abroad are to be seen as heroes, as they are the reason we are able to write posts like this. What will be covered in this article is Trump’s politicization of the military, the lack of concern for domestic threats, and the threat of using the military on the citizen’s of the United States.

From early on in his tenure as the President of the United States, it was apparent that Trump would angle towards politicizing the military. In 2016, when Colin Kaepernick first (notably) sat for the Anthem, he did so “because the country “oppresses black people and people of color.” Kaepernick, aware that this may cause a stir and make people think he was critical of the military, asked for advice. In stepped Nate Boyer, former NFL Long Snapper and Army Green Beret. He suggested that Colin kneel and soon after, it became a national conversation. Donald Trump, then the Republican Nominee, stated that Kaepernick should “find a country that works better for him. Let him try — it won’t happen.” Trump’s clear disdain for Kaepernick’s peaceful protest and spin of the protest as an act of disrespect for the military set the stage for how Trump would glamorize the military.

The lack of concern for domestic threats has continued to be a trend under the Trump administration, with recent news continuing to damn the efforts of the President in combating problems at home rather than abroad. Covid-19 cases and deaths continue to increase at alarming rates, with the United States having surpassed 9 million total cases and new case numbers totaling over 25,000 per day in 5 states, with more trending in the same direction. Multiple domestic terror plots against Governor Whitmer of Michigan and Governor Northam of Virginia were snuffed out by the FBI, only to have President Trump criticize them as people and say that “Maybe it was a problem, maybe it wasn’t.” The economic downturn due to Covid-19 has pushed 8 million people into poverty, with 12.6 million people unemployed as of October. As of 2018, the White House reported that nearly 600,000 people were homeless, with 35% of those having no shelter. These problems are just a handful of the problems faced by the United States. That being said, the resource allocation in terms of federal funds is the key issue.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development estimated that it would cost roughly $20 billion to end homelessness. The CEO of Hunger Free America has estimated that ending hunger would be $25 billion. While these seem like large numbers, it hails in comparison to the annual budget allocated to the Department of Defense. The 2021 FY Budget for the Department of Defense is roughly $700 billion, roughly 14.6% of the entire United States budget ($4.8 billion for FY 2021). That being said, the $700 billion is nearly HALF of the entire amount of spending done by the government when you take out mandated benefits spending such as Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. The United States spends 3.4% of its GDP on the military, which is far greater than the world average of 2.2% and 4th overall in the world, behind Saudi Arabia, Russia, and Israel. In terms of spending, the United States nearly triples the total spending of the next closest country on military spending and is one of only 2 countries — China being the other — to spend over $100 billion USD on its military in a given year. What is concerning is that the United States continues to pour money into the military machine at rates unheard of throughout the world rather than solve the problems it faces on its own soil.

Regarding facing problems on its own soil, President Trump has repeatedly threatened to use the military on the citizens of the United States. Often referring — incorrectly — to the military as “his army” and “his generals,” he has stated that he would quell protests with the use of active military soldiers, a move unheard of in a democratic nation. Trump has stated that he would “deploy the United States military and quickly solve the problem for [cities facing unrest].” The politicizing of the nation’s military has moved far beyond standing for the flag. Trump’s facist tendencies do not escape the military and his threats to turn the world’s most powerful military on its own citizens is something that only a dictator would praise and has no place in the United States of America.

Fascistic Characteristic V: Rampant Sexism
Part 6/16

“Beyond the simple fact that the political elite and the national culture were male-dominated, these regimes inevitably viewed women as second-class citizens. They were adamantly anti-abortion and also homophobic. These attitudes were usually codified in Draconian laws that enjoyed strong support by the orthodox religion of the country, thus lending the regime cover for its abuses.” -Lawrence Britt

The Trump administration and Donald Trump himself have shown time and time again that women may as well be second-class citizens. Donald Trump has had at least 26 women come forward with sexual assault or harrasment allegations against him (Bussiness Insider). Trump has denied all these allegations, saying that all of these women have lied. In the time of the #metoo movement, it is clear that there are many, many women who have been sexually harassed. There are numerous quotes from Trump himself making disparaging comments about women, most notably, “grab ’em by the pussy.” The Week provides a list of 61 comments Trump has made about women. It is obvious Trump has no respect for the women of this country, including those in his personal life. Trump’s first marriage to Ivana Trump was plagued with affairs, one being Marla Maples, who Trump ended up marrying after she gave birth to Tiffany. He divorced Marla and married yet another woman, his current wife Melania. This marriage has also been plagued with allegations of cheating and sexual harassment.

Trump touts himself as a leader for gender equality and having the most women staffed in his white house. While he might have the most women working for him, they can expect to be paid only 69 cents for every dollar made by their male counterpart (Government Executive).

Healthcare — specifically abortion — rights are necessary for women in order to allow women to be on the same playing field as men when it comes to their human rights. Women should have ample knowledge of pregnancy, how it works, how to prevent it, and have options if an unwanted one occurs. Women are most likely to provide child care and have to take care of children if they are sick. Even though the US has the Equal Employment Opportunity Act, it has been reported that women often lose out on promotions and pay raises and are fired when they complain about these practices (NY Times). One of Trump’s leading positions is anti-abortion. Most of the support for this comes from the very religious. They use the verses in the bible to justify the support of banning of legal abortions. Trump was the first president to attend an anti-abortion rally. How can it be said that women are treated equally to men when they don’t have control of their bodies? Donald Trump’s GOP is the party of sexism, misogyny, and utter disregard for women’s rights, and the last 4 years serve as proof to that notion..

Fascistic Characteristic VI: A Controlled Mass Media
Part 7/16

“Under some of the regimes, the mass media were under strict direct control and could be relied upon never to stray from the party line. Other regimes exercised more subtle power to ensure media orthodoxy. Methods included the control of licensing and access to resources, economic pressure, appeals to patriotism, and implied threats. The leaders of the mass media were often politically compatible with the power elite. The result was usually success in keeping the general public unaware of the regimes’ excesses.” — Lawrence Britt

Have you ever heard the term “Fake News?” Though he wasn’t the first to say it, Trump definitely popularized the phrase. In fact, he went so far past even popularizing the phrase that it seems to have lost all meaning. You would assume that the President who has told more than 20,000 lies since inauguration would be a leading expert in fake news, but to trump, it is something different. “Fake news” has been repurposed, to him, to mean “anything that I do not like.” This is another subtle method of controlling the media, as now his base can look at many media sites that contain a high amount of factual reporting, such as the websites that seek to tell us that Trump has told more than 20,000 lies since inauguration, and declare that instead as fake news. With the credibility of these highly factual media sites squashed, Trump is now in control of the sources that his followers, and maybe even more, are able to consume.

This is not a single-pronged attack, though. Not only does trump seek to discredit all reporting that makes him look bad, effectively making it impossible to deliver factual information to the most entrenched supporters (as some of you internet word slingers on this website have found), but he also seeks to silence the reporting that they are doing in the first place. In 2019, Trump rolled out new standards to keep press credentials and appear at his briefings. This removed all six of the Washington Post reporters, for maybe some predictable reasons. Media organizations thrive on the information that comes out of the press conferences, so even threatening to remove them from the conferences if they don’t play nice is a significant way for Trump to steal a little more positive coverage.

So enough about discrediting the bad guys. What about Trump’s friends? Trump and the prime-time Fox News host, Sean Hannity, have been pretty close since 2011, when Trump appeared on his show to talk about the circumstances of Obama’s birth. Years after, it seems Hannity is the first to jump to Trump’s defense. The Los Angeles Times has reported that Trump often calls Hannity after his shows in the evening. Hannity’s support of Trump not only allows Trump to get free positive coverage, but Hannity also boasted the highest viewership numbers of any cable news show for a while.

In this misinformation age, it only seems like Trump has actively and intentionally caused more harm than good.

Fascistic Characteristic VII: Obsession with National Security
Part 8/16

“Inevitably, a national security apparatus was under direct control of the ruling elite. It was usually an instrument of oppression, operating in secret and beyond any constraints. Its actions were justified under the rubric of protecting ‘national security,’ and questioning its activities was portrayed as unpatriotic or even treasonous.” — Lawrence Britt

All presidents focus a significant portion of their efforts on national security, building strategies and policies to confront the primary external threats faced by the nation. Fascistic regimes, however, tend to turn this focus inward, recasting national security as a primarily domestic pursuit aimed at rooting out threats to the regime. In other words, oppressive and often brutal tactics against opponents are framed as heroic actions in support of national security. While this type of system does not yet exist in the United States, alarming developments within the Department of Justice may represent the first tentative, nascent steps toward a fascistic secret police.

As Attorney General, William Barr is the nation’s highest law enforcement officer. Barr sits atop a legal apparatus that is charged with not only policing the nation, but also policing the nation’s leaders. Barr’s systematic politicization of his department has, however, laid the foundation for it to move from being a cornerstone of justice to being an instrument of oppression. Barr has, in essence, transformed the Justice Department into a law firm with a single client, President Donald Trump.

The Department, under Barr, has sought to reward Trump allies — like attempting to dismiss the case against former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn — and to punish Trump opponents — like removing US Attorney Geoffrey Berman. The Flynn dismissal, and the President’s intervention in the Roger Stone case, in addition to resembling the petty cronyism common to many authoritarian regimes, point to a bigger problem when we consider Barr’s statements about them. When asked about how history will judge the Flynn dismissal, Barr replied “history is written by the winners.” When defending both the Flynn and Stone actions, Barr insists that his actions are intended to correct an “injustice.” Barr’s sense of justice, however, is skewed by politics; and the nation’s legal experts were quick to condemn the actions. Barr’s removal of Berman is more insidious: Berman led the prosecution against Trump’s fixer, Michael Cohen, and was pursuing multiple associates of Trump’s lawyer, Rudy Guiliani. Berman’s removal, which parallels the earlier firing of US Attorney Jessie Liu, gives Barr much greater control over two critical US attorney districts that are pursuing Trump. In the case of Berman, Barr initially intended to replace him with a strong Trump ally who had no prosecutorial experience (a move that was ultimately blocked by an unsupportive Senate). The message is clear: Trump allies will be rewarded, Trump enemies will be punished. This ethos is the foundation upon which a fascistic domestic national security apparatus is built.

In addition to these alarming foundations, other protections meant to prevent the emergence of a politically motivated secret police have been systematically eroded by the Trump administration. Across a span of six weeks in early 2020, the President removed an unprecedented five federal inspectors general. While IGs do serve at the pleasure of the President, their ultimate role — established in a post-Watergate law — is to serve as watchdogs against administration abuses. Prior to this six week span, a grand total of one IG had been removed by a President. During his presidential tenure, Trump has also appointed 240 federal judges, and while we hope and expect that those judges retain their independence, oftentimes Trump’s primary criteria for appointment to any position is loyalty.

We don’t yet have an authoritarian secret police operating under the guise of national security in this country. But William Barr’s actions to support presidential allies and attack presidential foes, Donald Trump’s assault on the US Inspector General corps, and the potential for a federal bench focused on loyalty over law certainly lays the foundation for it. The characteristic is there; the implementation and the practice may well be next.

Fascistic Characteristic VIII: Religion and Ruling Elite Tied Together
Part 9/16

“Unlike communist regimes, the fascist and protofascist regimes were never proclaimed as godless by their opponents. In fact, most of the regimes attached themselves to the predominant religion of the country and chose to portray themselves as militant defenders of that religion. The fact that the ruling elite’s behavior was incompatible with the precepts of the religion was generally swept under the rug. Propaganda kept up the illusion that the ruling elites were defenders of the faith and opponents of the ‘godless.’ A perception was manufactured that opposing the power elite was tantamount to an attack on religion.” — Lawrence Britt

Trump is not a Christian. He’s using Christians, especially Evangelicals, to his own benefit. When asked what his favorite Bible passages are, he can’t answer, instead crafting a non-specific answer like anyone who doesn’t read the Bible, attend church, or otherwise understand the Christian religion would say: that there are too many to name just one; so many are good; I can’t choose. Right. Trump has, rather, used religion as a prop, establishing himself as a defender of the faith, despite not sharing its tenets or beliefs. He has found allegiance with Evangelical Christians to further his agenda in Israel with fellow authoritarian-light leader Benjamin Netanyahu. Being a friend to Israel is an important political tenant with the Evangelical community, as they believe that when the prophecies in the book of Revelations come true, the Jews in Israel will become Christians (or be raptured). Moving the American Embassy to Jerusalem was lauded by Evangelicals because of the impending rapture, and especially celebrated by Evangelical leaders of key lobbying groups for Israel. Trump has even said this quiet part out loud: that many of his policy decisions he has made have been to please his white, evangelical voters, whom he won about 80% of their vote in 2016. Meanwhile, fake-Christian Trump keeps Netanyahu happy, allowing real estate deals to go through with ease.

Trump, who used to be pro-choice, was the first president to speak at a pro-life rally in January 2020 to appease his right-wing Christian followers. Meanwhile, he has openly mocked the religious faith of Nancy Pelosi (a Catholic) and Mitt Romney (a Mormon), two lawmakers who have openly opposed Trump. Oddly enough, Evangelicals overlook Trump’s infidelity, philandering, bragging about his numerous sexual assaults of women, not to mention openly mocking the disabled, his active efforts to reduce public assistance to the poor, his disdain for those who do not agree with him, his open support of violence by white supremacists, his blatant racism and xenophobia … all things in opposition of Jesus Christ’s teaching about as loving your neighbor as yourself, a cornerstone of the Christian faith. Perhaps it’s because they received tax breaks and the opportunity to endorse candidates after Trump signed an executive order to “hamstring” the Johnson Amendment, which drew ire from both sides of the aisle as well as other faith leaders from across the religious spectrum.

Trump’s motives are clear: use the dominant religion (Christianity) and, in this case, a strain within that religion (Evangelicals) to bolster his political power. Perhaps no visual demonstrates this better than his bizarre photo op in front of St. John’s Episcopal Church. The message: I’m the defender of your faith; I, and I alone, will save you and your beliefs from destruction.

Fascistic Characteristic IX: Protecting Corporate Power
Part 10/16

“Although the personal life of ordinary citizens was under strict control, the ability of large corporations to operate in relative freedom was not compromised. The ruling elite saw the corporate structure as a way to not only ensure military production (in developed states), but also as an additional means of social control. Members of the economic elite were often pampered by the political elite to ensure a continued mutuality of interests, especially in the repression of “have-not” citizens.” — Lawrence Britt

Of the fourteen fascistic characteristics of Donald Trump that we’re discussing, this one is, by far, the most apparent and least controversial. In and of itself, the success of the corporate class — in any administration — isn’t necessarily a sign of fascism or even a net negative. When the interests of the corporate class find extraordinary representation through the executive, however, an administration treads on dangerous ground. Such is the case in the administration of Donald Trump, whose cabinet is a collection of former corporate titans, lobbyists, apologists, and advocates. In many cases, people appointed to lead agencies in the Trump era either transition into the agency from an adversarial position after a long battle to destroy the agency they’re now tapped to lead.

Secretary of the Treasury Steve Mnuchin — Goldman Sachs executive, co-investor (with Donald Trump) in the hedge fund Paulson and Company, and founder of Dune Capital Management — was a primary architect of Trump’s tax cuts. Mnuchin, reportedly valued at over $380 million and the epitome of a 1 percenter, is amongst those benefiting the most from Trump’s tax plan. Despite claiming that there would be “no absolute tax cut for the upper class,” the Tax Policy Center (a nonpartisan think tank) analyzed the plan and found that more than 40% of the benefits from the first year of the Trump tax plan went to the top 5% of earners. Those trends are expected to continue; in fact, when considering sunset clauses that are built into the law, in 2027 households making between $50,000 and $75,000 are estimated to see an increase in their tax bill by about $30, while earners exceeding $1 million would see a $23,000 decrease. Mnuchin was the architect of a law that ultimately protected himself and his corporate colleagues.

Secretary of the Interior David Barnhardt — a lobbyist with 15 years of experience representing oil and mining interests — has spent his time as Secretary securing access to public lands for the industries he previously represented. While he de-listed himself as a lobbyist to avoid falling afoul of Trump’s ban on lobbyists in government, Barnhardt continued billing for lobbyist services well after his self-delisting. In 2017, he acknowledged in an interview that he had directed the agency to weaken protections for fish in an effort to divert more water to big California agriculture concerns — one of his primary pre-government lobbying efforts. During the 2019 government shutdown, Barnhardt made special allowances to bring back staff working to support the offshore drilling industry. Barnhardt’s efforts during his tenure on behalf of his former corporate clients indicate a willingness of the Trump administration to use the power of government to protect corporate interests.

Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue — co-founder of export consultant Perdue Partners and owner of Houston Fertilizer and Grain — sparked corporate ethics concerns even before joining the Trump administration. As Governor of Georgia, Purdue met with the Georgia Ports Authority to discuss ways to grow his private businesses. Since taking his current role, Purdue has surrounded himself with corporate lobbyists. One of his senior advisors was a lobbyist for the Corn Refiners Association, a group that represents the four largest producers of corn syrup. Another — the leader of his deregulation team — was a lobbyist for the pesticide industry before joining USDA. Purdue has rolled back regulations on school lunches, which have made them both less healthy and more beneficial for the processed food industry. Purdue’s company — Houston Fertilizer and Grain — is also a federal subcontractor through USDA, the agency Perdue now leads.

We’ve highlighted only a few of the corporate protections enabled through Trump’s cabinet. Other members of the cabinet, including Bill Barr (AT&T, Verizon), Elaine Chao (Wells Fargo, News Corp), Andrew Wheeler (Murray Energy, Xcel Energy), Mike Pompeo (Koch Industries, Sentry International), Mark Exper (Raytheon, Aerospace Industries Association), Alex Axar (Eli Lily & Co.), and Wilbur Ross (WL Ross & Co.) also have extensive and often questionable corporate ties. Each has used their positions in a variety of ways to bolster the interests of their corporate clients.

Fascistic regimes see corporations as an additional layer of control; as such, through their administrative structures they work to bolster the interests of corporate partners, thereby securing their good will. It is undeniable that, despite promises to “drain the swamp”, Trump has surrounded himself with administrators who fit this fascistic mold.

Fascistic Characteristic X: Power of Labor Suppressed or Eliminated
Part 11/16

“Since organized labor was seen as the one power center that could challenge the political hegemony of the ruling elite and its corporate allies, it was inevitably crushed or made powerless. The poor formed an underclass, viewed with suspicion or outright contempt. Under some regimes, being poor was considered akin to a vice.” ~Lawrence Britt

Labor Unions are the backbone of worker’s rights in the United States. Since the first Union was formed in 1794, they have been a driving force for the creation of the modern day workplace. Americans can thank Unions for things such as:

• The Fair Labor Standards Act, created the federal framework for a shorter workweek
• The lowest income inequality at their peaks in the 1940s-1950s
• The end of child labor
• Employer-based Health Coverage
• The family and medical leave act

In 2019, the BLS reported that Union members earned an average of $1,095 per week compared to their non-Union counterpart’s earnings of $892, a difference of over $5,000 per year. 92% of union workers have job-related health coverage compared to 68% of their non-union counterparts with a 30% average wage difference favoring unions. The work completed by Unions has been stripmined by the Trump administration over the last 3 ½ years and if re-elected, labor unions will continue to be decimated. One of the largest Supreme Court decisions against Unions, Janus v. AFCSME, was decided in part by Trump’s 2 Supreme Court nominees, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh. This decision brought right to work rules to all public employees nationwide, something that continues to weaken the strength of the Unions that protect the rights of workers across the United States. Trump’s tax plan, hailed as a wonderful thing for United States-based companies, all but incentivized these companies to move away from Unions, as nearly 100,000 jobs were outsourced due to this law going into place.

Trump has waged war on unions since taking office, failing to invest in them as he promised during his first campaign for President. Trump campaigned on investing $1 trillion dollars in infrastructure, failed to increase the federal minimum wage, which hasn’t seen an increase in nearly a decade, the longest stretch without an increase since Congress enacted the federal minimum wage. Trump has rolled back safety regulations for natural resource workers and eased child labor laws. Trump’s National Labor Relations Board appointees have made it harder for workers to band together, relaxed requirements for workplace injury reporting, and rolled back protections for LGBTQ+ workers facing discrimination in the workplace. President Trump would rather the elite corporations continue to drive profits off the backs of their employees and make the workers figure it out when it comes to fair wages, benefits, and retirement packages.

Donald Trump’s stance on trade excited unions in 2016. Trump’s record of using union workers in real estate projects in Manhattan and New Jersey gave hope that he would be a fair president to workers and that it would lead to a re-investment in jobs in the United States. What has become of the Trump administration is the rolling back of workplace safety regulations, stripping federal employees of job security, and failure to address the federal minimum wage. Donald Trump is not your friend if you are a union worker. Trump would rather give a tax break to a corporation and see their stocks go up rather than them pay a fair wage. Donald Trump does not care about Donald Jones, local 238 member. He only cares about the Dow Jones.

Fascistic Characteristic XI: Disdain of Intellectuals and the Arts
Part 12/16

“Intellectuals and the inherent freedom of ideas and expression associated with them were anathema to these regimes. Intellectual and academic freedom were considered subversive to national security and the patriotic ideal.

Universities were tightly controlled; politically unreliable faculty harassed or eliminated. Unorthodox ideas or expressions of dissent were strongly attacked, silenced, or crushed. To these regimes, art and literature should serve the national interest or they had no right to exist.” -Lawrence Britt

If the Coronavirus pandemic is good for one thing, it is to reveal the President’s disdain for science and fact. At the beginning of this pandemic, Trump downplayed the virus; while being fully aware of how dangerous it was and could be. He has some of the brightest minds working with him on his response, most notably Dr. Fauci.

Trump has time and time again ignored and undermined Dr. Fauci. Not only that, but Trump and his administration have actively tried to censor and block scientists studying COVID-19 from being able to communicate with the public. He stopped the CDC briefings and stopped Dr. Fauci from directly speaking to the public. He said all communication was to go through VP Pence; presumably to be filtered before being released.

Scientists and officials have been sidelined for not backing Trump and his delusions that this virus is under control. In another instance “The White House also prevented Fauci from testifying before the House of Representatives, because (in the president’s words) the chamber was full of “Trump haters.” He blocked other experts from testifying before Congress at all, including the CDC director, who was invited to testify about how to reopen schools safely.” In another instance Dr. Nancy Messonnier stated that the virus is dangerous and will change people’s daily lives. She was taken off of press briefings and almost fired. Dr. Rick Bright was moved after suggesting that Hydroxychloroquine should be tested and researched more before being used as a treatment for Coronavirus. These are only a few examples, there are so many more similar stories.

Perhaps one of the largest examples of rejecting science and fact is what occurred just a few weeks ago. To not many people’s surprise Donald Trump and 34 others (at the time of writing) have contracted COVID-19. These cases are thought to have originated from the event now dubbed Rose Garden Massacre. Dr. Fauci stated that this event was a super spreader event. One would have hoped that The President contracting this disease would make him empathize with the over 7.5 million Americans that also contracted it. Instead, as of October 10, 2020 Trump said the virus was “disappearing” and that he was “a perfect physical specimen.” Despite his diagnosis, Trump was still seen without a mask and not isolating. These should be the bare minimum actions he should be taking while infected with a disease that has killed over 210,000 Americans.

Trump does not listen to fact or science. He does not care about you or me. He only cares about himself and getting what he wants. If that was unclear before, it should be crystal clear now. He is slated to hold an in-person rally Monday, October 12, 2020 while still possibly being contagious. He isn’t even trying to protect the American people.

Fascistic Characteristic XII: Obsession with Crime and Punishment
Part 13/16

“Most of these regimes maintained Draconian systems of criminal justice with huge prison populations. The police were often glorified and had almost unchecked power, leading to rampant abuse. ‘Normal’ and political crime were often merged into trumped-up criminal charges and sometimes used against political opponents of the regime. Fear, and hatred, of criminals or ‘traitors’ was often promoted among the population as an excuse for more police power.” — Lawrence Britt

“Law and order” has become a central theme of Trump’s candidacy for a second term; Trump and Pence have combined for over 90 mentions of “law and order” from the political stump in 2020, in addition to dozens of tweets simply issuing the phrase. Trump’s focus with the concept is clear; digging deeper, we find that at the core of the President’s near obsession with law and order is a combination of hatred for perceived enemies and outsiders and glorification for and support of law enforcement, despite the clear need for reform. “Law and Order” as a campaign phrase has roots in the anti-civil rights movement, with Republican Barry Goldwater first popularizing the term in his failed 1964 bid for the presidency. The lighter “law and order” call was used as a substitute for the more blatant racism of the first half of the century. Donald Trump — while almost certainly maintaining the twinge of racism in his modern day Goldwater-esque effort — has shifted the focus of his message to perceived enemies on the left. Ever since the protests in Minneapolis started, Trump’s message has been clear: domestic tranquility has been disturbed not by police violence, but by “thugs”, “outsiders”, and “provocateurs” from Antifa, a loose ideology of scattered elements on the far left that haunts Trump’s mind. The law and order call — for Trump — is about using Federal authority against perceived political enemies. The protests — for Trump — aren’t about police brutality, but rather are a concerted effort by a shadowy political organization to undermine his presidency.

Trump combines this paranoia about political enemies with strong support for police authority, and for the use of federal agencies — and troops — to enforce his idea of order. Trump has on multiple occasions denied the existence of systemic racism within the ranks of the America’s police. Under extreme pressure from both the right and the left, Trump did sign an executive order intended to track police misconduct, but during his announcement of the order he noted that he feels that police are “underfunded, understaffed, and under supported.” Trump continues to support increased police rights and protections and increased penalties for certain kinds of crimes. Trump’s support for police extends to the use of Federal resources. In the midst of massive protests against police brutality, Trump has used federal law enforcement and the National Guard against protestors in Washington DC, Portland, and Kenosha.

Today, for Trump, the enemy is Antifa. Today, for Trump, the solution is increased police power and the blending of local and federal law enforcement. A simple and plausible evolution of this position posits that the “enemy” is the Democrats, and the “solution” is a political police force. The warning signs are clear, and, as we’ve found with so many of these indicators, the system is flashing red.

Fascistic Characteristic XIII: Rampant Corruption
Part 14/16

“Those in business circles and close to the power elite often used their position to enrich themselves. This corruption worked both ways; the power elite would receive financial gifts and property from the economic elite, who in turn would gain the benefit of government favoritism. Members of the power elite were in a position to obtain vast wealth from other sources as well: for example, by stealing national resources. With the national security apparatus under control and the media muzzled, this corruption was largely unconstrained and not well understood by the general population.” ~Lawrence Britt

Donald Trump has been expending a lot of energy to prove the corruption of Vice President Joe Biden’s son Hunter. However, if he would take a look in the mirror, the corruption is already widespread with him and his children. Ivanka Trump works as ad advisor to the president. Her husband, Jared Kushner, works as an assistant and senior advisor to the president. President Trump retains ownership of his businesses, but Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump are promoting these businesses internationally. President Trump and his family may not be taking a salary for their jobs in the White house, but they are still raking in millions from international business.

Ivanka has displayed a few instances of having a conflict of interest. She participated in a matter that directly impacted her financial position. She worked on a new tax authorization that would allow for “opportunity zones,” of which Jared, her husband, would benefit millions from. In another instance, “Ivanka filed for trademarks from the Japanese government for her business shortly after the 2016 election. When were these trademarks formally approved? In February 2018, within days of Vice President Mike Pence’s visit to Japan to meet with Japanese government leaders.” In yet another instance, Ivanka violated the hatch act by using her Twitter account to promote her father as president. This occurred 8 times in just under 48 hours.

Besides using nepotism to fill his administration, President Trump has shown he can be bought by the wealthy. In the begging of the Covid-19 pandemic, Trump let his wealthy friends know about how bad this could be. This led to investors being able to profit off of the falling stock market or sell off their stocks just in time before it fell. Trump also made sure to include these big companies that donated millions to his campaign on covid relief funds, even though these funds were supposed to be aimed at small businesses.

Trump and his family are arguably the most corrupt family to inhabit the White House. There are so many more instances of Trump and his family participating in deals that display an obvious conflict of interest. Trump touts that he puts American first, but the reality is he puts himself first.

Fascistic Characteristic XIV: Fraudulent Elections
Part 15/16

“Elections in the form of plebiscites or public opinion polls were usually bogus. When actual elections with candidates were held, they would usually be perverted by the power elite to get the desired result. Common methods included maintaining control of the election machinery, intimidating and disenfranchising opposition voters, destroying or disallowing legal votes, and, as a last resort, turning to a judiciary beholden to the power elite.” — Lawrence Britt

This outlay of fascistic election schemes reads like a Donald Trump 2020 playbook. Virtually all of the potential control mechanisms that Britt mentions — voter intimidation, opposition disenfranchisement, disallowing legal votes, and manipulating the beholden judiciary — are occurring as a part of the 2020 election.

In 1982, Democrats filed a lawsuit against the RNC, arguing that by placing thousands of “poll watchers” at polling places around the country Republicans had violated the Voting Rights Act of 1965, engaging in illegal harassment and voter intimidation. Republicans in New Jersey had posted a large, official looking sign at polling places reading “WARNING: This area is being patrolled by the national ballot security task force.” This so-called “task force” didn’t actually exist. Rather, about 200 off duty police officers into a vigilante force that would “patrol” election places with visible fire-arms and arm bands that read “Task Force.” As a result of the suit, the RNC signed a consent decree that prevented the party from employing these tactics. In 2018, this decree was lifted, following a decades-long effort by Republicans. Predictably, in the 2020 election, Trump has called for a new, task-force like army of volunteers to “watch” the polls. The difference is that Trump is hoping for 50,000 — versus the original 200 — people in his “task force.” And things aren’t being left to chance: Trump’s campaign is actively recruiting this “army,” and the President has been personally briefed on the project’s progress. Given the rabid, truth-resisting nature of many of the President’s supporters, it is not a stretch to imagine this “army” intimidating voters in long lines on November 3rd.

In the first half of the 20th century, opposition disenfranchisement took the form of Jim Crow laws in the deep south. Trump’s disenfranchisement effort takes the form of voter subtraction. As a conservative party bleeding support, the Trump’s Republican Party best hopes to win is to limit the number of people voting. As COVID-19 has run rampant across the country, Republican lawmakers in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Michigan have filed suits to purge state electoral rolls as a holding action to prevent absentee ballots from being mailed out. While the party would prefer that the rolls be purged, that isn’t the point: by delaying, they hope to run out the clock in the courts and prevent people — many of whom are high risk for COVID complications — from voting in 2020. Trump has taken additional steps to limit the vote, opposing additional funds for the US Postal Service that would have ensured more ballots were delivered on time. Trump admitted that he was opposing the funds as a way to suppress voting: “If we don’t make the deal, that meanest they don’t get the money. That means they can’t have universal mail-in voting, they just can’t have it.” Trump has also appointed a loyal fundraiser, who has been accused by multiple people of circumventing campaign finance laws to raise money for his benefactor, to lead the Post Office during what might be its most critical year of existence. DeJoy’s first moves? A set of reforms that dramatically slowed down mail delivery and landed him in front of Congress.

On top of voter suppression and voter subtraction tactics, Republican efforts in the key state of Wisconsin will, in effect, disallow legal votes from being counted. In response to the massive amounts of mail-in votes as a result of the global pandemic, and citing data-driven conclusions that mail service was unlikely to be able to handle expected volume, Democrats filed for an extension of the state’s deadline for receipt of mail-in ballots. A District Court granted that extension. Yesterday, however, the Supreme Court overturned this decision. In her dissenting opinion, Justice Kagan wrote “Because the Court refuses to reinstate the district court’s injunction, Wisconsin will throw out thousands of timely requested and timely cast mail ballots” [emphasis added]. In other words: a conservative court has just allowed Republicans to disregard legal ballots, because the Postal Service wasn’t capable of delivering them on time.

And just like fascist regimes past, the Trump administration is planning to turn to the Federal Courts, 25% of which were appointed by Trump. As reported by The Atlantic: “the Trump campaign is discussing contingency plans to bypass election results and appoint loyal electors in battleground states where Republicans hold the legislative majority. With a justification based on claims of rampant fraud, Trump would ask state legislators to set aside the popular vote and exercise their power to choose a slate of electors directly.” In short: in closely contested states, Trump intends to send his own electors to the Electoral College. This move will only be possible if it is sanctioned by the court. Of note, Trump has appointed three Supreme Court justices (one confirmed a mere eight days before the election). Three sitting justices were part of George W. Bush’s legal team that helped secure the 2000 election for the Republicans.

Taken together, it becomes clear that the idea of voter fraud — of which there is no evidence — is a central piece of the Trump campaign. In a bizarre twist, in today’s fascism the allegation of voter fraud is what’s being used to justify fraudulent results, to the point where Democrats need a blowout to actually see their candidate seated in January. America: fascism has come to our shores. This is no longer a hypothetical. This is a worst case scenario.

Conclusion
Part 16/16

“When fascism came to power, most people were unprepared, both theoretically and practically. They were unable to believe that man could exhibit such propensities for evil, such lust for power, such disregard for the rights of the weak, or such yearning for submission. Only a few had been aware of the rumbling of the volcano preceding the outbreak.” — Erich Fromm

One of the most important lessons from the horrors of the 20th century is the importance of recognizing the signs of a truly destructive force growing within your political system. Today, we ignore these lessons at our own peril, and at the peril of our Republic. We’ve spent the past six weeks dissecting the character of Donald Trump: a toxic nationalism; a disregard for human rights; an obsession with perceived enemies; militarism; sexism; a need to control the media; an obsession with security; the blending of religion and politics; the protection of corporate power, the suppression of labor; the rejection of science; an obsession with law and order; corruption; and the pursuit of fraudulent electoral outcomes. The lessons of history are clear: Donald Trump claims to be a populist. He claims to be a conservative. He claims to be a Republican. But he is, in fact, a fascist.

— — — — — —

Additional Sources and References

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-said-us-soldiers-injured-and-killed-in-war-were-losers-magazine-reports/2020/09/03/6e1725cc-ee35-11ea-99a1-71343d03bc29_story.html
http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/27/076.html?fbclid=IwAR2Cdp2pmUGeBzGQqxey3PFQ0_w3lz_ERQjzE5zA46gu_q42GbNj_69V4HA
https://www.newsday.com/long-island/politics/trump-mount-rushmore-racism-hate-extremism-coronavirus-masks-biden-election-affh-policing-kanye-west-1.46436425
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/nov/13/trump-proposed-sending-undocumented-migrants-to-guantanamo-anonymous-book-claims
https://www.jpost.com/omg/trump-retweets-democrats-enemy-of-state-twitter-deletes-culprit-account-597251
https://www.govexec.com/feature/gov-exec-deconstructing-deep-state/
https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2020-06-23/trump-obamagate-birtherism-false-allegations
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/437610-trump-calls-press-the-enemy-of-the-people
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/13/trump-coronavirus-testing-128971
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/trump-blames-china-for-coronavirus-outbreak/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/09/16/trump-blames-blue-states-covid-19-death-rates/5819120002/
https://apnews.com/4a58a15c9955bb6312c1fbe42215110d
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/read-full-text-president-donald-trump-s-acceptance-speech-rnc-n1238636
http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/27/076.html
https://www.cjr.org/the_media_today/white-house-press-passes.php
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/07/13/president-trump-has-made-more-than-20000-false-or-misleading-claims/
https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-trump-kelly-20171010-story.html
https://www.businessinsider.com/sean-hannity-donald-trump-relationship-2018-4#hannitys-unwavering-support-of-trump-earned-him-higher-viewership-than-any-other-cable-news-show-for-months-although-he-was-recently-surpassed-by-msnbcs-rachel-maddow-7
https://www.cnn.com/2017/12/08/opinions/jerusalem-israel-evangelicals-end-times-butler-bass-opinion/index.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2020/02/14/trump-mocks-faith-others-his-own-religious-practices-remain-opaque/
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/trump-administration-abuses-thwart-us-pandemic-response#s2b