Adolf Hitler was without a doubt the most notoriously evil and simultaneously powerful dictator to exist in recent memory, and as a result, his name is often used in political discourse as a way of comparing the negatives of an opponent with the atrocities committed by Hitler. Obviously, no one has come close to the nature of Hitler since the Nazi leader fell, and those comparisons between relatively normal politicians only serve to minimize the actions of Hitler while overstating the negatives of a political rival. However, Donald Trump’s rise to power is strikingly similar to the rise of Hitler in the 1930s.
Now that Trump has officially won the Presidency, it is impossible to deny the waves of angry white people that carried him to such a position. Some believe Trump had such ardent support because many of his constituents merely disliked Hillary Clinton, but the truth is far scarier. Trump used many of the same tactics and rhetorical stylings that allowed Hitler to dazzle the German people before they realized the gravity of the threat.
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A recent Newsweek article pointed out the shocking ways in which Trump and Hitler were similar. In Trump’s case, the idea that he could be the next Hitler is something that must be taken seriously, not only because of how Trump marginalizes and demeans entire groups of citizens, but because of his steadfast resolve that he and he alone can solve all the problems of the United States. Hitler did the exact same thing during his rise to power. He was an eloquent speaker, far more so than Trump, and he had the emotion of the German people behind him. By downplaying his experience and public policy leanings, he was able to amass incredible support for his personal character and nothing more. The German people didn’t care what he was going to do because they were so wrapped up in his Hitler’s fiery personality.
Now, if any of that sounds familiar, it’s because Trump operates nearly identically. When asked about his specific policies, he has no answer beyond a positive affirmation that he will ‘be great’. Both Trump and Hitler famously spouted their horrible sacrifices and never-ending struggle through life, and that rhetoric resonated with the people listening to them. It doesn’t matter if they have nefarious plans, because they have survived the worst the world can throw at them and emerged as better leaders for it. At least, that is what they would have the public believe.
There has never been a candidate so full of himself as Trump, and he may very well end up being one of the most hated and divisive presidents in history. However, that arrogance is exactly what attracts a demographic of disenfranchised American citizens looking for an out from the current political system. Hitler certainly gave the German people a change from their standard political actions, yet those people never saw what was coming until it was too late.
One man who once lived in Germany tweeted a warning to the American people regarding the Trump presidency, and the tweet has reached a number of people across the planet. Johan Franklin has friends and family still living in Germany, and what he hears about America and Trump is enough to scare anyone. Germans have experience dealing with demagogues, liars, and authoritarian regimes. Many of them expressed disbelief that such a character could actually gain support in the United States.
Johan finished out the tweet with a final thought regarding the blindness of the American people supporting Trump. In his past, when he would leave Germany to travel the world, he would always be asked how the German people allowed such a person to take over their entire society. How could they not have seen what Hitler truly was? With Trump’s astonishing rise to power, Franklin no longer gets asked that question.