






















































What is fascism and why does Kamala Harris say Donald Trump is a fascist? | AP News














































































































































































































































































































































































































































Menu







Menu




World




U.S.




Politics




Sports




Entertainment




Business




Science




Fact Check




Oddities




Be Well




Newsletters




Newsletters



AP News Alerts
Keep your pulse on the news with breaking news alerts from The AP.




The Morning Wire
Our flagship newsletter breaks down the biggest headlines of the day.




Ground Game
Exclusive insights and key stories from the world of politics.




Beyond the Story
Executive Editor Julie Pace brings you behind the scenes of the AP newsroom.




AP Entertainment Wire
Get AP's first personalized newsletter delivering you entertainment news twice a week.




AP Top 25 Women's Basketball Poll Alerts
Women's college basketball poll alerts and updates.



See All Newsletters








Photography 




AP Investigations




Climate




SECTIONS

Indigenous peoples and climate
Climate Questions
Climate Migration 
India Focus



TOP STORIES


Many Senegalese seek to tap the power of animals by wearing them. Lions pay a heavy price


Brazil to join OPEC+, group of major oil-exporting nations


How better water systems can help a city survive the next firestorm










Health




TOP STORIES


Vatican authorities say the pope now has pneumonia in both lungs. How worrying is that?


Trump has signed an executive order on IVF. Here's what you should know about the procedure


Layoffs hit many at CDC lab program that was started to address previous failures


More adults are wondering if they have autism. Here are tips to seek a diagnosis


This Valentine's Day, consider what all types of love bring to your life


How to deal with fresh health insurance deductibles in the new year










Tech




SECTIONS

Artificial Intelligence
Social Media



TOP STORIES


Apple unveils a souped-up and more expensive version of its lowest priced iPhone


Google agrees to pay Italy $340 million to settle a tax evasion investigation


Troubled electric vehicle maker Nikola files for bankruptcy protection










Lifestyle




SECTIONS

Food & Recipes
Gardening
Homes
Travel
Fashion
Pets



TOP STORIES


Apple unveils a souped-up and more expensive version of its lowest priced iPhone


No pain, no gain? Hardly. This year's fitness buzzword is 'recovery'


Learn a few laundry secrets from the baseball pros — the clubhouse staffers who wash MLB uniforms










Religion




TOP STORIES


Middle East latest: Netanyahu appoints an adviser with Trump ties to lead ceasefire talks


Italy PM Meloni visits pope in hospital, says he's in good spirits as tests show slight improvement


Thousands of Palestinian families flee West Bank homes as Israel confronts militants




Newsletters



World of Faithtest
Comprehensive global coverage of how religion shapes our world.



See All Newsletters








Español




TOP STORIES


Administración de Trump califica de organizaciones terroristas a ocho cárteles latinoamericanos


Trump advierte a Zelenskyy que debe negociar rápidamente el fin de la guerra con Rusia


El papa Francisco tiene neumonía en ambos pulmones. ¿Qué tan preocupante es?


La próxima ola de tormentas del invierno estadounidense apunta a la costa este


Líder de protestas de camioneros en Canadá recibe tres meses de arresto domiciliario










Quizzes




Press Releases




My Account





...







World







Mideast Wars
    



Russia-Ukraine War
    



Español
        






China
    



Asia Pacific
    



Latin America
    



Europe
    



Africa
    



Australia
    



Middle East
    



Global Elections
        









U.S.





Politics







Trump cabinet confirmation tracker
        






White House
    



Congress
    



U.S. Supreme Court
    



Trump’s presidential promises
        






2025 Election Calendar
        









Sports







NBA
    



NHL
    



Men’s College Basketball
    



Men’s Top 25
    



Women’s College Basketball
    



Women’s Top 25
    



MLB
    



NFL
    



Auto Racing
    



Soccer
    






Entertainment







Movie Reviews
    



What to Stream
    



Television
    



Book Reviews
    



Music
    



Celebrity Interviews
    






Business







Inflation
    



Financial Markets
    



Financial Wellness
    



Technology
    






Science







Space
    



Animals
    



The Ancient World
    



Climate
    



Medicine
    






Fact Check





Oddities





Be Well





Newsletters





Photography 







2024 YEAR END PHOTOS
    



Photo Essays
    



Photography 
    






AP Investigations





Climate







Indigenous peoples and climate




Climate Questions
    



Climate Migration 
    



India Focus
    






Health





Tech







Artificial Intelligence
    



Social Media
    






Lifestyle







Food & Recipes
    



Gardening
    



Homes
    



Travel
    



Fashion
    



Pets
    






Religion





Español





Quizzes





Press Releases





My Account
















                Search Query
            





Submit Search








            Show Search
        















Submit Search










World











Mideast Wars
    



Russia-Ukraine War
    



Español
        






China
    



Asia Pacific
    



Latin America
    



Europe
    



Africa
    



Australia
    



Middle East
    



Global Elections
        









SECTIONS

Mideast Wars
Russia-Ukraine War
Español
China
Asia Pacific
Latin America
Europe
Africa











U.S.








Politics











Trump cabinet confirmation tracker
        






White House
    



Congress
    



U.S. Supreme Court
    



Trump’s presidential promises
        






2025 Election Calendar
        









SECTIONS

Trump cabinet confirmation tracker
White House
Congress
U.S. Supreme Court
Trump’s presidential promises
2025 Election Calendar











Sports











NBA
    



NHL
    



Men’s College Basketball
    



Men’s Top 25
    



Women’s College Basketball
    



Women’s Top 25
    



MLB
    



NFL
    



Auto Racing
    



Soccer
    






SECTIONS

NBA
NHL
Men’s College Basketball
Men’s Top 25
Women’s College Basketball
Women’s Top 25
MLB
NFL











Entertainment











Movie Reviews
    



What to Stream
    



Television
    



Book Reviews
    



Music
    



Celebrity Interviews
    






SECTIONS

Movie Reviews
What to Stream
Television
Book Reviews
Music
Celebrity Interviews











Business











Inflation
    



Financial Markets
    



Financial Wellness
    



Technology
    






SECTIONS

Inflation
Financial Markets
Financial Wellness
Technology











Science











Space
    



Animals
    



The Ancient World
    



Climate
    



Medicine
    






SECTIONS

Space
Animals
The Ancient World
Climate
Medicine











Fact Check








Oddities








Be Well








Newsletters









Newsletters



AP News Alerts
Keep your pulse on the news with breaking news alerts from The AP.




The Morning Wire
Our flagship newsletter breaks down the biggest headlines of the day.




Ground Game
Exclusive insights and key stories from the world of politics.




Beyond the Story
Executive Editor Julie Pace brings you behind the scenes of the AP newsroom.




AP Entertainment Wire
Get AP's first personalized newsletter delivering you entertainment news twice a week.




AP Top 25 Women's Basketball Poll Alerts
Women's college basketball poll alerts and updates.



See All Newsletters











Photography 











2024 YEAR END PHOTOS
    



Photo Essays
    



Photography 
    






SECTIONS

2024 YEAR END PHOTOS
Photo Essays
Photography 











AP Investigations








Climate











Indigenous peoples and climate




Climate Questions
    



Climate Migration 
    



India Focus
    






SECTIONS

Indigenous peoples and climate
Climate Questions
Climate Migration 
India Focus



TOP STORIES


Many Senegalese seek to tap the power of animals by wearing them. Lions pay a heavy price


Brazil to join OPEC+, group of major oil-exporting nations


How better water systems can help a city survive the next firestorm












Health









TOP STORIES


Vatican authorities say the pope now has pneumonia in both lungs. How worrying is that?


Trump has signed an executive order on IVF. Here's what you should know about the procedure


Layoffs hit many at CDC lab program that was started to address previous failures


More adults are wondering if they have autism. Here are tips to seek a diagnosis


This Valentine's Day, consider what all types of love bring to your life


How to deal with fresh health insurance deductibles in the new year












Tech











Artificial Intelligence
    



Social Media
    






SECTIONS

Artificial Intelligence
Social Media



TOP STORIES


Apple unveils a souped-up and more expensive version of its lowest priced iPhone


Google agrees to pay Italy $340 million to settle a tax evasion investigation


Troubled electric vehicle maker Nikola files for bankruptcy protection












Lifestyle











Food & Recipes
    



Gardening
    



Homes
    



Travel
    



Fashion
    



Pets
    






SECTIONS

Food & Recipes
Gardening
Homes
Travel
Fashion
Pets



TOP STORIES


Apple unveils a souped-up and more expensive version of its lowest priced iPhone


No pain, no gain? Hardly. This year's fitness buzzword is 'recovery'


Learn a few laundry secrets from the baseball pros — the clubhouse staffers who wash MLB uniforms












Religion









TOP STORIES


Middle East latest: Netanyahu appoints an adviser with Trump ties to lead ceasefire talks


Italy PM Meloni visits pope in hospital, says he's in good spirits as tests show slight improvement


Thousands of Palestinian families flee West Bank homes as Israel confronts militants




Newsletters



World of Faithtest
Comprehensive global coverage of how religion shapes our world.



See All Newsletters










Español









TOP STORIES


Administración de Trump califica de organizaciones terroristas a ocho cárteles latinoamericanos


Trump advierte a Zelenskyy que debe negociar rápidamente el fin de la guerra con Rusia


El papa Francisco tiene neumonía en ambos pulmones. ¿Qué tan preocupante es?


La próxima ola de tormentas del invierno estadounidense apunta a la costa este


Líder de protestas de camioneros en Canadá recibe tres meses de arresto domiciliario












Quizzes








Press Releases








My Account


















The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day.















        twitter
    









        instagram
    









        facebook
    










The Associated Press




ap.org
        






Careers
        






Advertise with us
        






Contact Us
    



Accessibility Statement
    



Terms of Use
    



Privacy Policy
    


Cookie Settings



Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
        






Limit Use and Disclosure of Sensitive Personal Information
        






CA Notice of Collection
        













More From AP News











About
        






AP News Values and Principles
        






AP’s Role in Elections
        






AP Leads
        






AP Definitive Source Blog
        






AP Images Spotlight Blog
        






AP Stylebook
        









SECTIONS

About
AP News Values and Principles
AP’s Role in Elections
AP Leads
AP Definitive Source Blog
AP Images Spotlight Blog
AP Stylebook













Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.





















Politics
What is fascism? And why does Harris say Trump is a fascist?





What is fascism? And why does Harris say Trump is a fascist?















1 of 2 | 
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris’ comments Wednesday come after Trump’s former chief of staff John Kelly said Trump wanted military generals like Adolf Hilter’s. 
Read More


























2 of 2 | 
This combination of photos taken Monday, Oct. 21, 2024, shows Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaking during a town hall in Malvern, Pa., left, and Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump delivering remarks on Hurricane Helene in Swannanoa, N.C.. (AP Photo)
Read More













            By 
            WILL WEISSERT and LAURIE KELLMAN



 




Share



                    Share
                    









Copy
Link copied









        Email
    


 





Facebook






X








Reddit





LinkedIn





Pinterest






Flipboard








        Print
    















WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris was asked this week if she thought Donald Trump was a fascist, and she replied, “Yes, I do.” She subsequently called him the same thing herself, saying voters don’t want “a president of the United States who admires dictators and is a fascist.”But what exactly is a fascist? And does the meaning of the word shift when viewed through a historical or political prism — especially so close to the end of a fraught presidential race? Here’s a closer look:

What is fascism?An authoritarian, ultranationalist political ideology and movement. It is often associated with the far right and characterized by a dictatorial leader who uses military forces to help suppress political and civil opposition. History’s two most famous fascists were Nazi chief Adolf Hitler in Germany and Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. Known as Il Duce, or “the duke,” Mussolini headed the National Fascist Party, which was symbolized by an eagle clutching a fasces — a bundle of rods with an axe among them.At Mussolini’s urging, in October 1922, thousands of “Blackshirts,” or “squadristi,” made up an armed fascist militia that marched on Rome, vowing to seize power. Hitler’s Nazis similarly relied on a militia, known as the “Brownshirts.” Both men eventually imposed single-party rule and encouraged violence in the streets. They used soldiers, but also fomented civilian unrest that pit loyalists against political opponents and larger swaths of everyday society.







More election coverage 



















Arizona’s Democratic governor faces uphill battle as Republicans control Legislature





 





















Biden says he’s leaving Trump with a ‘strong hand to play’ in world conflicts





 





















West Virginia’s conservative shift could sharpen under its new governor





 










Hitler and Mussolini censored the press and issued sophisticated propaganda. They played up racist fears and manipulated not just their active supporters but everyday citizens.












Today, the term fascism has taken on a looser political definition and is often evoked as a catch-all for efforts to spread oppression and racism — as well as to decry dictators or leaders who embrace totalitarian tactics.It is not just the left that has used the term, denouncing a push rightward in the U.S. and in many parts of the world. Some conservatives decried lockdowns imposed during the coronavirus pandemic as “fascist.” 

What are other historical examples of fascism?Hitler and Mussolini are its two biggest names, but it gets murkier from there. Does military dictator Augusto Pinochet’s 17-year, ironfisted rule in Chile qualify? What about Indonesian strongman Suharto or Spain’s Francisco Franco? Were the regimes of Ferenc Szálasi in Hungary and Brazil’s Plínio Salgado fascist? Where does American neo-Nazi leader David Duke fit? Indeed, critics sometimes describe modern U.S. extremist groups — including movements that have cheered Trump, like the Proud Boys — as fascists or neo-fascists. Those labels may be more steeped in political ideology than clear historical parallels. 

Why is Harris calling Trump a fascist?The vice president has long criticized Trump as being mentally unstable and not a true believer in, or defender of, the nation’s founding democratic principles. She notes that Trump suggested he’d deploy the military to target political opponents, including people he has decried as the “enemy from within.” The former president has long talked about attacking his enemies and declared to his supporters that he would be their “retribution.”“He’s talking about the American people. He’s talking about journalists, judges, nonpartisan election officials,” Harris said Wednesday night at a CNN town hall. Trump has threatened to take action against television networks and news organizations for coverage he deems unfavorable. And, when now-President Joe Biden challenged him during a 2020 debate to denounce the Proud Boys, Trump replied: “Proud Boys, stand back and stand by.”A mob of pro-Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, seeking to overturn Trump’s loss to Biden after Trump gave a speech propagating falsehoods about the election and exhorting the crowd to “fight like hell.” Among the people imprisoned in connection with Jan. 6 was the leader of the Proud Boys, accused of orchestrating a failed plot to keep Trump in power.Harris has been building toward the characterization. During an interview with her in Detroit on Oct. 15, radio host Charlamagne Tha God, said Trump was increasingly embracing fascism and asked, “Why can’t we just say it?” “Yes, we can say that,” Harris replied. 

Then, Trump’s longest-serving former chief of staff, retired Marine Corps Gen. John Kelly, warned that the former president meets the definition of a fascist. He said Trump, while in office, suggested that Hitler “did some good things,” and that Trump valued personal loyalty above the Constitution.Trump’s campaign has accused Kelly of lying and brushed aside Harris’ criticism, with spokesperson Karoline Leavitt responding, “Kamala will say anything to distract from her open border invasion and record high inflation.” Trump has described Jan. 6 as a “day of love.”Trump himself rejected the fascist label in an interview Thursday with Fox News.“Everyone knows that’s not true,” he said. “They call me everything until something sticks.”

How do experts on fascism view Trump?They are divided. Robert Paxton, a Columbia University professor emeritus who wrote “The Anatomy of Fascism,” has cited the Jan. 6 attack as evidence of Trump’s fascism. “It’s bubbling up from below in very worrisome ways, and that’s very much like the original fascisms,” Paxton told The New York Times Magazine in a piece published this week. “It’s the real thing. It really is.”Some do not see Trump as meeting the classic historical definition of a fascist, but rather increasingly moving toward politics that have fascist tendencies. David Kertzer, a Brown University professor and Italian historian, said he was “a little horrified” to hear Harris call Trump a fascist given the term’s “historical resonance.” He said there are some similarities, including “mass movement, a cult of the strongman.” He noted that Trump sometimes juts out his chin, though he isn’t prone to tearing off his shirt and bare his chest, like Mussolini did. Kertzer said that fascism involved “a one-party state, a banishing of all opposition newspapers and jailing people who disagreed,” and that, while Trump has talked about jailing opponents, he’s not moved toward embracing other key facets of the movement.“There are certain echoes, but in terms of turning the Republican Party into a one-party state, that seems rather farfetched at the moment,” said Kertzer, author of “The Pope and Mussolini: The Secret History of Pius XI and the Rise of Fascism in Europe.”David Clay Large, a senior fellow at the University of California, Berkeley’s Institute of European Studies, said “the alarm bells now going off may be somewhat overblown.”“Our democratic institutions, however beleaguered, remain much stronger than those of the European nations that turned fascist in the ‘20s and ’30s,” Large said. Still, he added, there would be “a real danger to these institutions” in a second Trump presidential term.The rise of far-right parties across Europe and Trump’s control of the GOP, Large said, carves out “an entirely new situation: The center cannot hold as it once did.” Add to that mix social media, which in the digital age mirrors the use of propaganda, amping up emotions and division, he said.“Where everyone’s an expert, we’ve lost respect for factuality, objectivity, and actual expert opinion,” Large said. —- Kellman reported from London. 
















WILL WEISSERT


                Weissert covers national politics and the White House for The Associated Press. He is based in Washington.
            








        twitter
    








        mailto
    
















LAURIE KELLMAN


                Kellman has covered U.S. politics and foreign affairs for the Associated Press, including 23 years reporting from Washington and three from Jerusalem. She is based in London.
            








        twitter
    








        facebook
    








        mailto
    
























                    Most read
                























White House says Elon Musk is not in charge at DOGE, but is advising the president










Trump administration gives schools a deadline to end DEI programs or risk losing federal money










A deeper look at the talks between US and Russian officials as Trump suggests Ukraine is to blame










Russia and US agree to work toward ending Ukraine war in a remarkable diplomatic shift










A$AP Rocky dives into Rihanna’s arms as not guilty verdict is read at felony assault trial





























The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day.












The Associated Press




ap.org
        






Careers
        






Advertise with us
        






Contact Us
    



Accessibility Statement
    



Terms of Use
    



Privacy Policy
    


Cookie Settings



Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
        






Limit Use and Disclosure of Sensitive Personal Information
        






CA Notice of Collection
        










More From AP News




About
        






AP News Values and Principles
        






AP’s Role in Elections
        






AP Leads
        






AP Definitive Source Blog
        






AP Images Spotlight Blog
        






AP Stylebook
        

















Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.









        twitter
    









        instagram
    









        facebook
    














What is fascism?  We may be about to find out.  

We won’t like it.