As someone who came of age respecting the slow, deliberate process of democratic governance—and who has watched with growing alarm the erosion of those norms—I’ve been reading Robert O. Paxton’s The Anatomy of Fascism with increasing concern. Paxton’s analytical framework isn’t just a historical lens; it’s a diagnostic tool. And in 2025, that tool is essential.
We’re at a stage in American politics where language must be precise, but courageously applied. The term “fascism” is heavy with history and pain, but Paxton’s model provides clarity. Rather than asking if Trumpism “is” fascism, we can ask: does it follow the path Paxton outlined?
The answer, regrettably, is yes.
Stage 1: Creation of Movements
According to Paxton, fascism begins as a reactionary movement fueled by societal grievance, humiliation, and loss of status. Trump’s political foundation was laid with explicit appeals to white grievance, economic anxiety, and cultural resentment. The “America First” and “MAGA” doctrine channeled decades of simmering discontent into a coherent narrative: the elites betrayed you, immigrants stole your jobs, and only a strongman can set things right.
This wasn’t mere populism—it was grievance weaponized. It was the seed of a movement, not a platform.
Stage 2: Rooting in the Political System
Fascist movements rarely take power in a vacuum. They co-opt existing institutions. Trump didn’t build a party; he hijacked one. The GOP has since been reshaped in his image—purged of dissent, subordinated to personal loyalty, and molded into a vehicle for cultural authoritarianism.
The conservative movement’s ideological core—free markets, small government, states’ rights—has been replaced by a devotion to Trump and his “us vs. them” ethos. This is exactly what Paxton described: integration, followed by ideological mutation.
Stage 3: Seizure of Power
Trump’s initial election was democratic, but his behavior since has demonstrated open contempt for democratic constraints. From the relentless undermining of electoral integrity to the incitement of January 6, Trump has shown that the ballot box is only legitimate when it delivers his victory.
Now, in 2025, we are watching that same mentality escalate again. Consider the attempt to cut over $100 million in federal contracts to Harvard—retaliation cloaked in policy (source). Consider the lawsuits filed by NPR and others to block Trump’s efforts to defund public media (source). This isn’t limited to ideology—it’s a full-court press against opposition, dissent, and intellectual independence.
Stage 4: Exercise of Power
Once in power, fascist regimes govern through loyalty, fear, and spectacle. Trump’s second administration shows this with startling clarity.
Federal departments have been politicized and repurposed to punish ideological enemies. Executive power is exercised not to govern, but to dominate. From the DOJ to Education, policy has become theater—less about outcomes than about message. This is governance as intimidation.
Ethically, this administration leans into cruelty: targeting trans youth, demonizing immigrants, silencing dissenting universities, and turning Memorial Day into a campaign stop (source) where personal grievance trumps solemn commemoration.
Stage 5: Radicalization or Entropy
Paxton’s final stage offers a binary: fascist regimes either escalate or collapse. Trumpism, today, is escalating.
The movement is not satisfied with past victories. It seeks total narrative control—over media, over education, over memory. Dissent is labeled treason, and the former president now openly toys with imprisoning or exiling political opponents. The radical right has gone mainstream, and the rest of the party enables or capitulates.
The GOP is no longer a democratic institution. It’s the operational arm of a movement that is anti-democratic at its core.
Conclusion: Resistance is Not Optional
We must not succumb to normalization or nostalgia. Trumpism is not merely a populist wave or an unfortunate chapter. It is a coherent, organized, and accelerating challenge to democracy—one that mirrors historical fascism more closely with each passing month.
As leaders, voters, and citizens, we must name what we see, resist the institutional erosion underway, and act in defense of democratic values. That means organizing. That means voting at every level. That means speaking up even when it costs us. Especially then.
History does not forgive inaction. And Paxton’s framework makes one thing clear: the time to act is now.
