Trump could become even more dangerous as public anger soars: historian

Dr. Ruth Ben-Ghiat — a history professor at New York University, author of the 2020 book "Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present," and a frequent guest on MS NOW — is known for her expertise on the history of fascism and authoritarianism. And she isn't shy about comparing President Donald Trump to authoritarian figures of the past.

In an op-ed/essay published by the New York Times on February 1, Ben-Ghiat argues that Trump's overreach may backfire — which, she points out, happened with authoritarians before.

"Today, President Trump appears to be testing the depths of the hole into which he can throw himself — and drag America with him," Ben-Ghiat explains. "He faces falling approval ratings and growing unpopularity for his domestic and foreign policies, including his fixation on Greenland and repeated threats of using the U.S. military against Americans. Rather than recalibrating, Mr. Trump is barreling ahead (or down), whatever the costs to the nation and the world. Asked by reporters from The New York Times if he recognized any constraints on his actions, the president replied: 'My own morality. My own mind. It's the only thing that can stop me.'"

The scholar/author continues, "I have seen this brand of strongman megalomania and the adverse effects it can ultimately have on leaders and their governments. I call it autocratic backfire. Authoritarian-minded leaders present themselves as bold innovators with unerring instincts about how to lead their countries to greatness. Their personality cults proclaim their infallibility while propaganda machines suppress news of their failures and exaggerate their influence and competency."

Authoritarians, Ben-Ghiat notes, often "cut themselves off from expert advice" when they "surround themselves with loyalists" who "repeat their lies" — an approach that can lead to "autocratic backfire," which, she says, happened with Benito Mussolini, AKA Il Duce, in Italy during World War 2.

According to Ben-Ghiat, "Autocratic backfire can end in a leader's ouster and a nation’s collective ruin, as it did in Fascist Italy; in a leader clinging to power over a weakened state, as is happening with (President Vladimir) Putin's Russia; or in popular resistance and mass mobilizations that help restore democracy in the end — which could yet be the fate of the United States."

But the New York University professor warns that when authoritarians experience "autocratic backfire," they can become even more extreme.

"It is well documented that strongmen are at their most dangerous when they feel threatened," Ben-Ghiat writes. "That is why, as popular discontent with the Trump administration’s actions deepens, Americans should brace for heightened militarized domestic repression and more imperialist aggression abroad."

Dr. Ruth Ben-Ghiat's full New York Times op-ed/essay is available at this link (subscription required).

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