Yes, It’s Fascism

TL;DR

Jonathan Rauch argues Trump's second-term style matches fascism through a full set of traits like norm demolition and violence glorification.
ICE has doubled in size with a budget exceeding all other federal law enforcement combined, acting as a paramilitary force.
Recognizing this as fascism helps liberals defend democracy against a revolutionary push to dominate politics.

The story at a glance

Jonathan Rauch, in The Atlantic, shifts from avoiding the term "fascist" for Trump to embracing it based on his second-term actions. He focuses on Trump, MAGA, and ICE's expansion into a national paramilitary. The piece responds to 2025-2026 events like ICE raids in Minneapolis that sparked protests and brutality claims. It comes amid Trump's aggressive governance after his 2024 reelection.

Key points

Rauch once saw Trumpism as patrimonialism—treating the state as personal property—but now views it as ideological fascism seeking to crush opposition and rewrite society's rules.
Fascism shows not in one act but a "constellation" of 18 traits, including demolition of norms (e.g., mocking heroes, slurring immigrants), glorification of violence (praising mobs, endorsing torture), and "might is right" (contempt for weakness).
ICE, doubled in workforce and budget in 2025, conducts warrantless detentions of citizens and noncitizens, uses masks and skimpy training, enjoys "absolute immunity," and films raids provocatively.
Other traits: dehumanizing rhetoric ("vermin," "poisoning the blood"), politicized prosecutions targeting 470+ enemies, attacks on media as "enemy of the people," and blood-and-soil nationalism ending birthright citizenship.
Trump undermines elections (no 2029 handover expected), commandeers private firms, supports global far-right leaders, and governs as revolution via "radical constitutionalism" to dismantle bureaucracy.
America is a hybrid, not fully fascist—courts, states, and media resist—but naming the threat is key to resistance.

Details and context

Rauch initially resisted "fascist" due to the term's overuse, vague definition, and Trump's mismatch with 1930s Europe (no mass party, corporate takeover). He accepted Biden's "semi-fascist" for MAGA parallels but saw first-term Trump as greedy gangsterism.[[1]](https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/01/america-fascism-trump-maga-ice/685751/)[[2]](https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/01/america-fascism-trump-maga-ice/685751)

Second-term shifts, especially ICE's role in Minneapolis (dragging people from homes, flooding the city post-protests), tip the scale. ICE's budget tops all other U.S. law enforcement and many nations' militaries, enabling police-state tactics like collective punishment.[[1]](https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/01/america-fascism-trump-maga-ice/685751/)

Fascism here is American: revolutionary against liberal democracy, not just authoritarian. Objections—not a perfect historical copy—fail; the totality fits.

Key quotes

"Fascist best describes it, and reluctance to use the term has now become perverse. That is not because of any one or two things he and his administration have done but because of the totality." —Jonathan Rauch[[1]](https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/01/america-fascism-trump-maga-ice/685751/)
Stephen Miller: “We live in a real world... governed by strength, that is governed by force, that is governed by power. These are the iron laws of the world that have existed since the beginning of time.”[[1]](https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/01/america-fascism-trump-maga-ice/685751/)

Why it matters

Trump's style threatens liberal democracy's norms, elections, and rights through aggressive, totalizing power. Readers face expanded ICE reach into communities, potential politicized justice, and media suppression affecting daily information and safety. Watch court challenges to ICE, 2026 midterms, and federal agency purges, though resistance from states could slow the push.