Who is a Fascist? & What is Fascism?

At the end of August, huge banners hung from trucks circling Chicago’s downtown streets, carrying a message for President Donald Trump: “Do not come to Chicago” and “FASCISTS ARE NOT WELCOME.”

Name-calling in politics is more of a tradition than an anomaly. However, after Donald J. Trump was elected president in 2016, both the right and the left have called leaders of both major parties fascists. Before being elected to his second term, Trump referred to the Biden administration as a “fascist government,” weaponizing federal agencies (DOJ, FBI) against him and conservatives.

Meanwhile, Biden was more hesitant; at an August 2022 DNC fundraiser, President Joe told the audience, “It’s not just Trump, it’s the entire philosophy that underpins the — I’m going to say something — it’s like semi-fascism.”

Congressional leaders were also actively involved. Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene stated in 2021 that “The Biden administration is a fascist government, and they are trying to destroy America.” Democratic Rep. Jim McGovern accused some GOP members of enabling fascism when they approved Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

When reviewing a collection of quotes from both sides, a clear pattern emerges. Republicans call Democrats fascists for enforcing longstanding laws, while Democrats accuse…