03/28/2024: 9:45 AM - 11:15 AM
1533
Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile
Room: Chicago Ballroom H (5th Floor)
At a rally this past Veterans Day, Donald Trump made a campaign promise that, apart from a minor contradiction, could have rolled off the tongue of Mussollini or Hitler: "In honor of our great veterans on Veterans Day, we will root out the Communist, Marxist, fascists and the radical-left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country." While Trump has consistently denigrated his policial opponents, this was the first time he used the dehumanizing language of fascists in a stump speech. Earlier, on September 27, Trump remarked that immigrants "poison the blood of America." Before that, during his 2016 campaign, Trump mocked a journalist with a disability, recalling the denigrating attitude of the Nazi campaign that targeted the mentally and physically impaired. Known for his unrefined and confrontational rhetoric, Trump has bulldozed through the norms of political discourse since his ride down the escalator in 2015. Analysis of Trump's discourse has led investigators such as Jennifer Mericeca to identify the rhetorical techniques he uses to both bind his followers to him and distance himself from his enemies. Ruth Ben-Ghiat has highlighted Trump's authoritarian gestures by examining his physical presentation and those who he praises in his speeches. Other investigators have drawn parallels with Trump's rhetorical techniques to those of fascists. This paper argues that Trump's rhetoric is indeed a modern example of fascist rhetoric from the past century because it pushes all the familiar buttons of authoritarianism, xenophobia, nationalism, and scapegoating. Trump's recent stump speeches and interviews show even more clearly show these hallmarks of fascist rhetoric.