American Nazism - They aren't hiding in their bunkers any more

By John Ehlers - Published 1-18-2026

Over the past several months I have written about various aspects of Project 2025, emphasizing that it is the blueprint for this administration’s complete reworking of American society and our democratic form of government: deconstruction of entire federal agencies; intimidation and illegal firing of federal employees; the Christian Nationalist attack on women; and the threat of the Christian Nationalist credentials of JD Vance, Russell Vought, and Pete Hegseth. These manly men wear their professed faith on their sleeves, but act nothing like the itinerant preacher who gave us the “sermon on the mount.”

But nothing compares with the actions of the Department of Homeland Security and ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement). We’ve seen ICE agents roughing up supposed “immigrants,” usually people of color, even a United States Senator, and the arrest, detention, and deportation of hundreds without due process. We’ve seen the deployment of thousands of armed agents to “blue” cities throughout the country in an effort to intimidate, induce fear, and demonstrate dominance.

Last week in Minneapolis, we saw the killing of an unarmed woman. It was at best a questionable action by a federal agent who is supposedly responsible for protecting the lives of citizens. At worst, it was execution by the state without charges, trial, or sentencing.

We only have evidence of this overreaction by government agents because civilian bystanders captured the action on their cell phones. Although the videos provide very clear evidence of what happened that day, the president and other government officials offer us alternative, false facts, including claims that the murdered woman was a violent terrorist and that she ran over the gun-toting agent.

At this point we can be virtually certain that the shooter will never be charged or tried, much less convicted, as evidenced by the fact that Minnesota state law enforcement officials are being barred from investigating the incident. The message to us all is that the federal government, through its thousands of armed agents, can assault, arrest, detain, deport, and even kill citizens without the benefit of due process which we are guaranteed by the Constitution and the rule of law.

If the rule of law no longer applies, then we have entered an era that none of us ever imagined we could experience here in the United States. This Trump administration is an almost textbook example of fascism, and it’s time we recognize this fact and call it what it is.

Here are 12 warning signs of fascism according to the National Holocaust Museum:

• Powerful and continuing nationalism

• Disdain for human rights

• Identification of enemies as a unifying cause

• Rampant sexism

• Controlled mass media

• Obsession with national security

• Religion and government intertwined

• Corporate power protected

• Labor power suppressed

• Disdain for intellectuals and the arts

• Obsession with crime and punishment

• Rampant cronyism and corruption

Do you see anything here that looks familiar?

There is one more characteristic that should be included that has defined all fascist movements no matter where they have occurred, and this may be the most important for us today. Fascists do not believe in the central tenant of democracy and the words from our Declaration of Independence.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all persons are created equal.

Fascists believe that some people are better than others and that they should be in charge. This is why you hear Trump say that as president he can do anything he wants and why vice president Vance says there are no laws, there is only power, and why SS Miller says it’s all about strength, force, and power. This is why you hear billionaires say that democracy is not a good system and that only the smartest people should be in charge. Of course, since they are the richest, they must be the smartest.

Related to their belief that not all people are created equal is the fascist practice of always finding an “other” to blame and persecute. In Germany it was the Jews. In this country it’s people of color. In Germany they called people who resisted fascism “communists.” In this country the current preferred slur seems to be “leftist terrorist.” Whatever the label, it is meant to evoke fear and loathing.

Once you go down this road, once you accept that some people are more equal than others, democracy cannot be your choice for governance. We had a revolution to free the people in the 13 colonies from a king who, by definition, was better than everyone else and benefited from a class system that ranked everyone and assigned them to a certain position in a hierarchy that determined not only who they were, but defined all that they, and their children, could ever be.

So fascism is a pyramid scheme that depends on exerting dominance from the top down. Sound like SS Miller? At the top is the dictator (think Hitler) who makes all of the decisions. He has a handful of ultra loyalists who recommend actions and policies, and who will carry out whatever orders emanate from the boss. There are no checks and balances. There is no rule of law because the dictator says what is law and what is not. Sound like Vance (there is no law, there’s only power)?

And then there is our sociopathic president who believes he can do anything he wants. Maybe he’s right. Congress hasn’t stopped him and the Supreme Court has given him a Get Out of Jail Free card. He’s creating chaos and uncertainty on a daily basis, instilling fear and creating a willingness to obey in order to avoid punishment.

In one year he has gone from exerting dominance at home to serving notice that he intends to be dominant internationally. He will use the strength of the United States to get what he wants, but not necessarily for the benefit of the United States. Dictators don’t share well with others.

The recently announced National Security Strategy does not provide for strengthening ties with our traditional allies. It is clearly a plan to dominate the entire western hemisphere while telling Europe and NATO to not depend on us. Many observers see the NSS as a plan to divide the world into spheres of influence dominated by the United States, China, and Russia. But if you assume the dictator is only interested in enriching himself and his family (an assumption for which there is becoming ample evidence) then there aren’t necessarily any geographical or geopolitical boundaries; only boundaries defined by self interest and the willingness to exert power.

Remember - there are no laws, only power. At least that’s what Carl Schmitt* told Adolph Hitler.

*The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy writes, “Schmitt was an acute observer and analyst of the weaknesses of liberal constitutionalism and liberal cosmopolitanism. But there can be little doubt that his preferred cure turned out to be infinitely worse than the disease.” His ideas remain highly influential, with many scholars arguing he has influenced modern governance in China and Russia, as well as the movements of neoconservatism and Trumpism.

Schmitt’s “state of exception” doctrine has enjoyed a revival in the 21st century. Formulated 10 years before the 1933 Nazi takeover of Germany, Schmitt claimed that urgency justified the following:

1. Special executive powers

2. Suspension of the Rule of Law

3. Derogation of legal and constitutional rights

Schmitt’s doctrine helped clear the way for Hitler’s rise to power.