Content warning: This article contains mentions of antisemitism, Nazis, homophobia, racism, and xenophobia.
“They’re poisoning the blood of our country. That’s what they’ve done.”
Taken from their original context, it would not be difficult to imagine that these words might have been spoken nearly one hundred years ago — their virulent hostility might remind one of Adolf Hitler, whose Nazi Party weaponized antisemitism in order to blame the Jewish people for Germany’s social, economic, political, and cultural problems, a brutal and oppressive propaganda push that eventually paved the way for Hitler to enact the Holocaust, the name now given to the Nazi-led genocide of six million European Jews.
But these words weren’t spoken by Adolf Hitler, and they weren’t spoken one hundred years ago. In fact, they were spoken less than two years ago, in December 2023. And they were spoken by Donald Trump, during one of the many speeches he’s given over his near-decade in the political public eye where he expresses his deep-rooted, malicious hatred of immigrants. This rhetoric, familiar to most of us by now, echoes in many ways the rhetoric of Hitler and his Nazi Party; it is predatory in how it attacks entire groups of people, and it is founded not upon logic, but upon baseless cruelties that work to persecute the most marginalized among us in order to redirect blame for government failures.
If you’re wondering whether perhaps these are coincidences, don’t worry: Elon Musk graciously assuaged everyone’s doubt by performing the Nazi salute to raucous cheers after Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, 2025. The American far-right is not just echoing Nazi rhetoric; they are wholly and enthusiastically embracing it.
And it’s not only the symbols and trappings of the Nazi party that Trump, Musk, and their allies are using as a blueprint for their own fascist takeover — it is also the policies, propaganda, and tactical suppression of any sort of “difference” that might prove a threat to their version of America. We are just over a month into Trump’s second presidency, and already have borne witness to a slew of executive orders aimed at, among other things, banning trans athletes from women’s spots, ending gender-affirming care for people under 19, and taking away federal benefits for immigrants.
In March 1933, a mere two months after Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany, the Protection Squads (SS) established Dachau Camp — the first concentration camp — under orders from the Nazi regime. The purpose of Dachau was not originally to imprison Jewish people; instead, it was to imprison political opponents of the Nazis. These “opponents” included anyone that deviated from the supremacist worldview of the Nazis, from those who were members of the Social Democrats party to Jehovah’s Witnesses to gay men. Eventually, Dachau Camp also served as an internment camp for Jewish people, particularly in the wake of Kristallnacht.
On Feb. 24, 2025 — only a day prior to writing this article — NPR obtained an internal memo from the Trump administration detailing its plans to build immigration detention facilities across the U.S. on various military bases. Although the request, sent by the Department of Homeland Security to the Department of Defense, has yet to be approved, its implementation would “dramatically expand detention capacity to support… mass deportation.”
And as vitriolic and immediate the Trump administration’s punishment and persecution of immigrants has been, they are far from the sole group under attack. In fact, it is not only people who are under attack — the current administration has also begun targeting education and research in an effort to eradicate what it classifies as “D.E.I. [diversity, equity, and inclusion] language.” Some of the terms included under this umbrella are “activism,” “equal opportunity,” and “women”; any research containing these and other keywords is automatically flagged by an algorithm established as a result of Trump’s executive order on D.E.I.
Further, the National Park Service has recently removed references to transgender and queer people from its Stonewall National Monument web pages, in an apparent bid to comply with the Trump administration’s push to recognize only two genders: male and female, “as assigned at birth.” This move is a striking parallel to the widespread book burnings that took place in 1933 at various university towns across Germany, which were an effort to eradicate knowledge and writings that went against the Nazi doctrine. Already, the Stonewall National Monument website has erased its list of recommended readings, thereby moving a step closer to exterminating works by authors such as Marsha P. Johnson, a Black trans woman who was instrumental in the fight for queer rights.
I know. I know, I know. This is all incredibly frightening. It is. There’s no getting around it; what we’re witnessing is terrifying because the writing is on the wall, and it has been on the wall for nearly one hundred years. We know what devastating consequences this sort of unchecked fascist power might lead to, and it might very well feel as though all hope is lost. But I promise, it is not. There is still hope, and it is still very real.
When Hitler and the Nazis rose to power, they did not succeed solely through the oppressive tactics they employed; they succeeded because of the institutions, political leaders, and individuals that supported and helped to implement their genocidal agenda. Without the backing of judges, soldiers, policemen, and doctors who, among others, chose to comply with Nazi policies, the Holocaust would not have had a chance to come to fruition.
Checking the news these days may be a terrifying prospect; the deluge of constant updates on the United States’s current governmental moves likely grips you with an overwhelming sense of terror. This is no accident. Overwhelmed is how they want us to feel. Overwhelmed, and powerless. Once we believe that there is nothing that can be done to stop what’s happening, it becomes easier for them to control us.
However, across the country, protests against the Trump administration have been taking place ever since his inauguration. On Feb. 25, a federal judge issued the Trump administration a two-day ultimatum to release billions of dollars in U.S. foreign aid, which they were ordered to do two weeks ago. Also on Feb. 25, another federal judge blocked the Trump executive order that would have halted the admission of refugees into the country, saying the order “crossed the line” of separation of powers.
This is only the beginning of the fight against Trump and Musk’s oligarchical, fascist takeover. The nationwide shock at the unceasing slew of executive orders and policies has begun to harden into a fierce resistance; more and more protests are cropping up around the country, various activist groups have reported rising membership, and a coalition of Democratic state attorneys general is filing lawsuits against Trump’s orders.
Our country has the institutions in place to defend against the current administration, but those institutions must hold. As citizens, we have the capacity to make them. In 2026, the congressional midterms will take place — in the weeks and months leading up to them, do your research. Make a plan to vote and get your ballot in, whether you send it in absentee or go in person to the polling booths. We have the power to elect progressive leaders into congressional office, and we must take advantage of that power.
If you can, I suggest looking into protests going on near you. There have already been thousands nationwide, and there will be more, particularly as we begin to head into warmer months. Read up on ICE and learn what your rights are if they show up at your home, school, or place of business. On Feb. 28, consider participating in the nationwide economic blackout if you’re able to. Activist movements are capable of immense change, but only if we choose to show up, and keep showing up.
Perhaps above all else, educate yourself. Be aware of how the current administration’s policies might affect you, yes, and be constantly and vigilantly aware of how they might affect those around you. Protect your neighbors. Show up for each other. Fight for the rights of the people you know, and the ones you may never meet. Those in power want us divided and angry; we cannot give them that. The way through is together.
History exists for a reason; let us be the ones to listen to its warnings, and learn better.