TRUMP'S FASCIST PLAYBOOK

Trump’s Dictatorship: The Fascist Playbook in Action

For those still clinging to the idea that “it can’t happen here,” it’s time to face reality: it’s already happening here. Donald Trump is not improvising his power grab; he is following a well-worn manual written by the likes of Hitler, Mussolini, and other 20th-century strongmen.

The steps are recognizable. The parallels are undeniable. And the trajectory is predictable.

Step One: Consolidate Power by Crippling Opposition

Fascist leaders begin by eliminating political competition, not through fair elections, but through fear, coercion, and manipulation. Trump has:

• Subjugated the legislative branch, ensuring Republican lawmakers fall in line or face political annihilation.
• Packed the judiciary with loyalists who place his personal power above constitutional principles.
• Attacked voting rights nationwide, backing extreme voter suppression laws, purging voter rolls, closing polling locations in targeted communities, and enabling gerrymandering so severe that opposition votes are effectively nullified.
• Used executive agencies as personal instruments of control.

The result: checks and balances have been replaced with submission and obedience, and the electoral process is being hollowed out so only one outcome is possible—his.

Step Two: Control the Narrative

Dictators understand the power of the microphone. With constant provocations, Trump dominates the news cycle by sheer force of presence, flooding the airwaves, social media, and public discourse.

• Scandals are drowned out by the next manufactured outrage.
• Legitimate criticism is dismissed as “fake news” or the work of “enemies of the people.”
• He positions himself as the sole source of truth, forcing the public to choose between his narrative and chaos.

It’s textbook authoritarian propaganda: control the conversation, control the people.

Step Three: Militarize Domestic Politics

When Mussolini’s Blackshirts and Hitler’s Brownshirts patrolled the streets, it was to create a climate of intimidation. Trump’s modern version began when he deployed federal troops first to police Los Angeles and now to Washington, D.C., moves that were more than a “law-and-order” stunt. They were dry runs for martial law. He has signaled his readiness to do the same in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, and Oakland. The message is clear: dissent will be met with force.

Step Four: Intimidate and Co-opt Institutions

Fascists bend business, academia, and the legal profession to their will. Trump has:

• Shaken down corporations for loyalty, favors, and funding.
• Pressured universities and law firms to align with his agenda or lose influence.
• Leveraged regulatory and legal threats to ensure compliance.

This isn’t persuasion. It’s extortion in a tailored suit.

Step Five: Build Loyal Street Force

While Mussolini’s men wore black shirts and Hitler’s wore brown, Trump’s loyalists have their own uniform: the red tie and MAGA hat. These are not just fashion choices. They are symbols of allegiance, a visible marker of the cult of personality. And, like their historical counterparts, they are used to intimidate, harass, and rally to defend the leader.

The Road Ahead: We’ve Seen This Movie Before

Once this stage is reached, history tells us what happens next:

• Dissent is criminalized.
• Elections become theater.
• Civil liberties vanish under “emergency measures.”
• The leader becomes synonymous with the state itself.

Trump has already executed most of the steps in the fascist playbook. What remains is the formalization of his absolute rule, something that could come with the stroke of a pen under the guise of “national security” or “public safety.”

This Is Not a Warning. It’s a Description

Too many still speak of this as if it’s a looming danger. It’s not looming. It’s here. The parallels with Hitler and Mussolini are not loose comparisons. They are point-for-point matches. The techniques are identical. The results will be, too, unless this trajectory is broken.

History’s lesson is clear: once fascism consolidates power, it does not voluntarily give it back. It must be taken back by a mobilized, relentless, and united resistance.

William James Spriggs