The Trump administration has been compared to Nazis a bazillion times already — we know, we counted a bazillion — and sometimes that can sound like opposition rhetoric. Just the other day, Trump’s own son did the same thing to the Democratic Party, comparing their platform to the Nazi platform:
You see the Nazi platform in the early 1930s and what was actually put out there … and you look at it compared to like the DNC platform of today, and you’re saying, man, those things are awfully similar, to a point where it’s actually scary.”
We here at DC Tribune understand rhetoric. But we also understand historical significance. And if Donald Trump Junior wants to draw parallels to 1930’s Nazi Germany, then as archivists of events, we are more than happy to oblige him. In fact, we would like to take this opportunity to remind Junior that there have been things that his dad has done that are literally the same as Hitler’s tactics.
Now, we’re not talking about the obvious stuff, like the constant stream of propaganda and attacks on journalism, although those were definitely a hallmark of Hitler’s fascist regime. In fact, the two leaders share an affinity for appointing chief propagandists, and those propagandists seem to enjoy their jobs very much: Goebbels was thrilled to meddle with the press, saying “Think of the press as a great keyboard on which the government can play.” Sarah Huckabee Sanders, meanwhile, is happy to endorse violence against the press in modern-day America herself.
But the more insidious comparisons come in smaller forms — things that seem insignificant unless you understand their purpose.
Famously, Adolf Hitler wanted very much to be seen as being equal to the common man, a populist representative who would forego fame and fortune in order to do the most good for his people. That perception was central to his methods.
It’s no small wonder, then, that Donald Trump’s supporters so frequently cite the fact that the President does not take a salary, donating the entire $400,000 yearly pay of the office to varying programs. If you wonder where he may have gotten that idea, now would be a good time to remember that Hitler did the exact same thing, making a big show out of not accepting pay and instead donating it to programs that needed assistance. In fact, it might even be a good time to remember that Trump admitted to owning a copy of Hitler’s My New Order, a collection of his speeches, that he kept on a bedside table.
It is a small thing. But as Donald Trump himself will tell you, every detail is important.
Featured image via screen capture
