Journalists and political commentators took to social media to discuss an article from The Atlantic that compared former President Trump to infamous fascist dictators like Adolf Hitler. The article, titled “Trump Is Speaking Like Hitler, Stalin, and Mussolini,” was written by Anne Applebaum and published on Friday. Applebaum argued that Trump has introduced dehumanizing language into American presidential politics.
In response to the controversial headline, independent journalist Glenn Greenwald expressed his opinion on the matter. He pointed out that constantly calling someone names like Hitler without success may lead to resorting to even harsher language. RealClearPolitics co-founder Tom Bevan made a light-hearted comment about the three dictators being compared in one headline, while Margot Cleveland from The Federalist sarcastically remarked, “When Hitler isn’t bad enough!”
Scott Stossel, the national editor for The Atlantic, commended Applebaum for her insight into Trump’s rhetoric. He highlighted her expertise in authoritarian regimes and emphasized the importance of paying attention to her analysis. Applebaum herself described Trump’s political language as “ugly and repellent,” drawing parallels between his words and those of Hitler.
She referenced examples of Hitler’s propaganda tactics, such as associating Jews with lice and promoting the idea of Germans as clean and pure. Applebaum warned against the dangerous implications of using such divisive language in political discourse. Despite her strong stance, The Atlantic and the Trump campaign did not provide immediate comments on the article when reached out to by Fox News Digital.
Jeffrey Clark, an associate editor at Fox News Digital, summarized the reactions to The Atlantic’s article and highlighted key points from Applebaum’s analysis. The comparisons drawn between Trump and historical dictators continue to spark debate among journalists and commentators regarding the use of inflammatory language in political rhetoric.