Never Go Full Hitler

Trump's embrace & praise of Hitler should have been the breaking point for the GOP, but instead they've decided to go all in. We've officially reached the bottom, and none of it should be normalized.

(Michelle Kondrich/The Washington Post; photo by Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post; AP)

In 2017, Americans were told that the GOP elders and “moderates” would restrain Donald Trump and inhibit his worst tendencies. They would allegedly rein him in instead of indulging his narcissism, cruelty, and criminality. They would retain their loyalty to the country and national security instead of shamelessly behaving like willing Reeks for a twice-impeached vulgarian.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump had it right when he said he could shoot someone on 5th Avenue and he still wouldn’t lose any voters. Thankfully, he hasn’t shot anyone - yet - but he has incited those very same voters to engage in a violent insurrection against the United States to overthrow a free and fair election. Some of those MAGA voters were armed and would’ve gladly killed Vice President Mike Pence in the U.S. Capitol in service to their Orange Lizard King.

We were also told that it was “economic anxiety” that primarily drove the MAGA base even though every single serious study repeatedly revealed that it was primarily, although not exclusively, “cultural anxiety” and racism that motivated them. If America had simply listened to commentators of color, myself included, who tried our best to raise the alarm then none of them would be surprised that the GOP would go full “hoods off” and white supremacist by 2024. Unfortunately, we aren’t conservative white men so our opinions are still seen as hysterical, biased, and radical.

And so here we are in 2024 where 78-year-old Donald Trump is now a convicted criminal who is quoting Hitler’s hateful rhetoric against immigrants, dining with Hitler lovers such as white nationalist Nick Fuentes, promoting neo-Nazi conspiracies against Haitian immigrants, promising a “Unified Reich” if he’s elected, and praised Hitler according to his former Chief of Staff John Kelly. “You know, Hitler did some good things, too,” he allegedly told Kelly, in addition to praising Hitler’s generals. 

I’d love for a reporter to ask Donald Trump what exactly were some of the “good things” that Hitler did in addition to spearheading a genocidal, fascist movement that killed 11 million people, including 6 million Jews, and was fueled by a delusional belief in the superiority of the white race.

Alas, we’re probably never going to get that sound bite. Instead, CNN will continue to platform right-wing hack Scott Jennings, a former “moderate” Republican, who dismissed Trump’s terrifying comments by saying, “If you’re worried about Hitler, there are thousands of Hitlers running around college campuses.” I’m assuming he’s talking about pro-Palestinian, anti-war protestors that include many Jewish Americans. If you’re a conservative, it’s OK to call American students “Hitler” and sanewash Trump’s comments. When asked if Trump’s praise of Hitler would force him to reconsider his support, Chris Sununu on CNN said, “No ... we've heard a lot of extreme things from Donald Trump. With a guy like that, it's kinda baked into the vote."

What else is “baked into the vote?”

“He’s certainly an authoritarian, admires people who are dictators — he has said that,” revealed John Kelly. “So [Trump] certainly falls into the general definition of fascist, for sure.”

So, is MAGA telling us that a dictatorship is baked into a Trump presidency? An embrace of violent authoritarian leaders and enemies of America? Replacing our democracy with White Christian nationalism? Mocking and ridiculing a Mexican American U.S. soldier murdered by her harasser? Unleashing the military and national guard against U.S. citizens? Interning Americans in camps? Deporting 15 million people?

All of this is OK with MAGA and the entirety of the conservative movement. We’ve known this for the past 9 years ever since Trump’s infamous Access Hollywood tape wasn’t the dealbreaker for “the party of family values.” His impeachments and incitement of a violent insurrection were perfectly acceptable. His conviction and being held liable for sexual assault wasn’t a bridge too far for the party of God and character. His praise of Hitler is now just an expected attraction on the carnival ride to hell that is Trump.

The only thing that’s left for Trump to do is shoot a person on 5th Avenue. If he were to kill a liberal, immigrant, or person of color, his base would love him even more. Corporate media and establishment leaders seeking access to power and wealth would probably say, “Well, nobody’s perfect.”

But, the rest of us, the majority, can still speak up and refuse to rationalize, normalize, and sanewash this hateful rhetoric and fascist movement. At the very least, we still have our vote and we still have a chance to defeat this Hitler lover on November 5th.