Americans on the left often overlook the very stability and freedom that allowed them to dissent. While President Donald Trump has faced persistent and aggressive criticism, his detractors simultaneously enjoyed free, undisturbed lives protected by the stable framework of the Constitutional Republic they claim was failing. This time around, they’re using pointed and dangerous language.
One of the more notable critics, Jonathan Rauch — an American author, journalist, and activist — recently published an article for The Atlantic claiming that there were no other words for Trump’s ideology other than “fascist.” However, the president did not challenge free elections, nor did he control the mass media to spread rhetoric and nationalize propaganda. In fact, quite the opposite was true. The real irony in Rauch’s scathing analysis was that in a fascist state, such articles would be censored and Rauch himself would fear for his life and his career — yet he continued to prosper.
Our Constitutional Republic was built upon a bedrock of fundamental freedoms, from religious liberty to the right to free speech, ensuring an autonomous way of life that remains unparalleled anywhere in the world. Fascist dictators would not afford those rights or freedoms. Instead, those who exercised them would be relentlessly attacked. Yet, Trump and his supporters as a whole were labeled as fascists simply because they want a strong and prosperous country.
This disconnect was personal for me. At an anti-fascist protest on Jan. 20 of this year, I attempted to spark a debate, only to be met with the very tactics the protesters claimed to oppose. I was labeled a “fascist pig” and physically blocked from exercising my First Amendment right to free speech. The irony was unmistakable. Those claiming to fight fascism were the ones actively suppressing the expression and movement of a fellow citizen.
The reality remains that no American has truly experienced the crushing weight of a fascist dictatorship or the genuine oppression of an authoritarian leader. Critics chose to forget the actual oppression experienced in Nazi Germany or Italy under Mussolini — regimes characterized by total state control, militarism, and the violent suppression of dissent.
While the left frequently lobbied accusations of fascism at Trump, it was under the Biden administration that the suppression of media and state-driven censorship truly began to mimic authoritarian regimes. The extreme censorship and cancellation culture that developed during the Biden administration was immense. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg admitted that senior Biden administration officials pressured Facebook to “censor” certain COVID-19 content during the pandemic. Zuckerberg later stated, “I believe the government pressure was wrong and I regret that we were not more outspoken about it.” This pressure, documented in a letter dated Aug. 26, served as a prime example of the censorship championed by the left.
In a true fascist state, dissent equaled death. The case of Helmuth Hübener illustrated the absolute nature of fascist suppression. Hübener was a 17-year-old who was executed for typewriting and translating truths from a BBC radio broadcast that exposed the reality behind the Nazi regime. While modern detractors flourished by criticizing the government, Hübener faced the guillotine for seeking the truth. The price for opposition was a life — not a social media following or a career built on criticizing government actors.
Categorizing Trump as a nationalist-populist is one thing, but Rauch’s tirade labeling him a fascist was an entirely different, and historically illiterate, matter. The negative connotation that comes with calling anyone a fascist is dangerous. Claiming that the president of the United States subscribed to an ideology associated with Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini — men responsible for the murder of millions — was both inaccurate and outrageous.
Not only was this a harmful smear on the president, but it also produced a sense of dehumanization for all of his supporters. This rhetoric suggested that tens of millions of Americans were also fascists. As polarization continues to spiral and turn violent, this type of labeling was no more productive than the name-calling the left so often criticized in others.
Critics will continue to vehemently argue that the president is an aggressive dictator; meanwhile, his economic policies are making large strides in an economy that was struggling.
Gas prices are at their lowest in nearly five years, with prices below $3 in 43 states.
Recent reports show inflation dropped to a 2.7% annual increase in December, coming in lower than the projected 3.1%.
The administration has also achieved massive economic growth, with real GDP rising 4.3% in the third quarter of 2025, which is projected to be even higher in the fourth quarter as Trump’s policies continue to take hold on the economy.
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This is full fascism in effect.
Rauch isn’t holding back any longer; he’s made a dangerous label and altogether alienated millions of Americans who voted for Trump in 2024. By doing so, he has chosen divisive rhetoric in an already divided country. By doing so, it further polarizes a country already struggling for common ground.