A new message from your friends at People For the American Way.
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Friend,

Welcome to our weekly “Trumptastrophe” email series that serves to remind
us of the destructive policies, decisions, and actions we encountered
during the Trump presidency and the threats that he and others in the MAGA
movement still pose – and to keep those moments clear in our memory as we
fight to defeat Republican extremists during the upcoming elections.

This week’s "Trumptastrophe" highlights former President Trump’s fascist
tendencies that are now on full display.

At a political rally on Oct. 26, 2018, Trump read scripted remarks calling
for national unity, criticizing the politics of personal destruction, and
decrying violence—and then quickly [ [link removed] ]descended into his typically toxic
mix of demeaning insults against his political opponents, media-bashing,
and fearmongering on immigration.

That rally came shortly after a Trump supporter and conspiracy theorist
[ [link removed] ]sent pipe bombs to Democratic leaders including former Vice President
Joe Biden and former Attorney General Eric Holder. Trump denied that his
hyper-divisive rhetoric could have anything to do with inflaming such
violence. He even mocked the idea that he should be “nice,” suggesting
that instead he should be even more strident. “I think I’ve been toned
down,” [ [link removed] ]he said. “I could really tone it up.”

Today we know what Trump means by “really tone it up” as his campaign goes
full fascist, making it clear that our freedoms and future are on the line
in the election that is already under way in some states. Trump has
threatened to:

* turn the U.S. military against Americans who disagree with him—people
he calls “the enemy within”;
* imprison election officials and Democratic officials;
* shut down media outlets whose coverage he doesn’t like;
* seize the endowments of universities that promote diversity, equity,
and inclusion;
* urge police officers to engage in “a really violent day” against
nonviolent criminals like shoplifters;
* mobilize a massive violent police state action against immigrants—who
are already suffering from violent harassment caused by his dishonest
and inflammatory rhetoric.

And that’s all in addition to Project 2025’s plan for a dictatorial
presidency—and the MAGA Supreme Court justices creating a doctrine of
presidential immunity that would make it virtually impossible to hold
Trump accountable for abuses of power he carries out as president.

Trump’s admiration for dictatorial leaders and his contempt for democratic
norms are understood by people who have worked closely with him. Retired
Gen. Mark Milley, who served as Trump’s Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff, has called Trump “[ [link removed] ]fascist to the core” and the “most dangerous
person ever.”

Ruth Ben-Ghiat, historian and author of the 2020 book “Strongmen: From
Mussolini to the Present,” recently noted, “Trump has intentionally drawn
on the enduring appeal of Fascism,” including his elevating neo-Nazis and
platforming antisemites and Holocaust deniers.

Ben-Ghiat noted that at a recent rally where Trump stood on stage
listening to music and basking in the adoration of the crowd for half an
hour, he was in front of a banner reading “TRUMP WAS RIGHT ABOUT
EVERYTHING,” which echoes Italian Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini’s
slogan, “Mussolini Is Always Right.”

The Trump campaign’s decision to close out the campaign by ramping up his
cruelty, lies about immigrants, and appeal to some of his supporters’
desire for a dictatorial leader who will crush their perceived enemies is
deeply troubling.

So is the fact that MAGA Republicans have not only backed Trump’s most
brazen lies, they have also adopted his tactics of cruelty, intimidation,
and discrimination, targeting some of the most vulnerable people in
America. The Trump campaign and MAGA Republicans have poured [ [link removed] ]tens of
millions of dollars into campaign ads targeting transgender people.

“Trump is what a Fascist demagogue looks like in 2024 America, and
Trumpism aims to defeat our democracy and establish a form of governance
that would have strong similarities with Fascism as well as other
experiences of authoritarianism,” writes Ben-Ghiat in her Substack
newsletter. “Those are the stakes of this election.”

These are just some of the reasons we need YOU in this
fight. So, find your
favorite way to unwind after reading through this week’s recap, and then
make a plan for how you will fight back this week, this month, this
election cycle.

For members who are interested in sharing the weekly Trumptastrophe
series, [ [link removed] ]you can find all previous editions on our website! This post
will be published by Thursday so you can share with your friends and
family and remind them of the importance of ensuring that Trump is
defeated again this November.

[ [link removed] ]If you’d like to opt-out of this series but still continue receiving
our other email content, you can do so here >>

Thanks for all that you do to defeat MAGA Republicans.

– People For the American Way

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