In Mein Kampf, Hitler wrote “The great masses of the people…will more easily fall victim to a great lie than to a small one.” By the end of WWI, a great lie or conspiracy theory was permeating German society in the Constitutional Weimar Republic. Known as the “stab-in-the-back theory” or dolchstosselegende, it stated that the German Army did not lose the war on the battlefield. Rather, it lost because Jews, republican politicians in the Weimar Republic, and communists betrayed the German Army or “stabbed it in the back.” Supporters of dolchstosselegende referred to those who had signed the armistice of November 11, 1918 as “November criminals.” This great lie became one of the major beliefs of the Nazi Party in the 1920s. Pushed by Hitler, the Nazis, and many who had served in WWI, it came to be believed by millions of Germans. It contributed to an increasing lack of faith or confidence in the democratic government of the Weimar by its citizens and the perpetuation of the myth that the war could have been won (see Llewellyn, Southey, Thompson). It provided a reason for millions of Germans, including military officers, to support the Nazis and, while certainly not the only factor, it played a role in their ascension to power. By 1932 Hitler and his supporters had made it clear that they wanted to bring an end to the republican democracy of the Weimar and had resorted to violence as early as 1923 in the Beer Hall Putsch. The Nazis received almost 37% of the vote in 1932. They became the largest single party in the Reichstag or parliament. Within a year, Hitler and the Nazis maneuvered to achieve absolute power. Many around Hitler, such as General Kurt von Schleicher of the right wing German upper class and Alfred Hugenberg, the right-wing media magnate, believed they could control his authoritarian actions (see Ryback). They failed.
I briefly explain this because these German echoes can be heard in the United States today. There are great lies that millions of Americans believe. These lies include that Trump won the 2020 election; that “deep state” corruption unfairly targets Trump; that “WOKE” elites are indoctrinating our children at all levels of education; and that replacement theory or the idea that the “criminal black and brown people” coming across our southern border are replacing “American” workers. Promoted by Trump, FOX news, MAGA Republicans in office, and Russian bots or web brigades, millions consume these lies. Just as dolchstosselegende blamed “others” for the German loss of WWI, these great lies today provide MAGA supporters with target groups to blame for their mythical problems. The theories undermine confidence in and support for our democratic governing institutions and our education system. They perpetuate the belief that Trump won the election. They allow racism to be normalized as part of the mainstream discussion. Democratic government cannot function or thrive when large numbers of Americans, nearly 30%, believe and act on these great lies. The failures of the US House of Representatives under the MAGA Republicans since 2022 illustrate this.
Trump’s affinity for “strong men” or dictators has been on public display since 2017. He at one time or another has praised Vladimir Putin, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Viktor Orban, Xi Jinping, Kim Jong-un, Saddam Hussein, and Adolph Hitler. Dozens of officials who worked for Trump in his first term believed they could control or contain his authoritarian actions. They have written articles and books which fully explain his many attempts to either violate democratic principles and laws or destroy democracy. They chronicle their own attempts, successes, and failures in preventing him from doing so. Yet, by the end of his first term, many of these people had simply left the administration. There were fewer checks and balances within the administration. Trump and his enablers put into action several illegal plans, such as the fake elector’s scheme, to keep him in power. These plans failed. All of this culminated in an attempted violent overthrow of our government on January 6, 2021.
Since then, Trump and the MAGA Republicans have time and time again in statements and written documents, such as Project 2025 by the Heritage Foundation, discussed their intentions of destroying our democratic institutions should they be re-elected. It has already started. Threatened violence and actual violence against anyone Trump identifies as an opponent has increased dramatically according to the Capitol police and the FBI. These include members of Congress, federal and state judges, federal and state prosecutors, court room personnel, state election workers, and their families. MAGA Republicans have made it more difficult, especially for minorities, to vote in the states they control.
While $50 million of Trump’s legal bills have been financed through his Save America PAC, in 2021 and 2022 the Republican National Committee (RNC) paid $2 million to law firms representing Trump in court. This was before he became an official candidate for president. The RNC is now under the leadership of Trump’s daughter in law, Lara, with his former senior adviser, Chris Lacivita, acting as its chief operating officer. Trump is putting pressure on the RNC to help pay for his legal bills even though most lawyers believe that it would be illegal because he is now an official candidate for president. The RNC also now asks all prospective employees if they believe Trump won the 2020 election. One must answer “correctly” to gain a job. Republican Nikki Haley stated that Trump is going to "try and continue to take the party so that it does what he wants it to do."
In a Trump second term, he will appoint people to upper-level positions who will place loyalty to him over the rule of law and the Constitution. Rather than a General John Kelly as chief of staff, he will appoint one who will provide no resistance to his actions and completely enable him as he begins to take apart our democracy. To rid America of the mythical “deep state,” Trump has said he will implement Schedule F which will allow him to reclassify up to 50,000 mid-level civil servants/government workers who are engaged in "confidential, policy-determining, policymaking or policy-advocating.” These individuals will then lose their current civil service protections and can then be terminated from employment without cause. These individuals will then be replaced by those who pass a loyalty test to Trump.
He has stated that he will use the Justice Department and federal courts to go after the media that played a role in the “rigged” 2020 election. In particular, he has threatened NBC and MSNBC. He has stated many times that anyone who opposes him in any manner will face retribution. He has stated that he will build vast deportation concentration camps for undocumented migrants. He will reinstate a ban on immigrants from predominantly Muslim countries. He stated that he will invoke the Insurrection Act, which allows the president to use the military as a domestic police force. He has even stated that he will suspend the Constitution. It is important to listen carefully to Trump and his MAGA Republicans. They will attempt to do exactly what Trump says and there will be fewer checks and balances in a second term. It’s the fascist playbook in action. Think about that as you vote this fall.
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