History in the Making
Document Type
Article
Abstract
The term fascism is often thrown around to describe one’s political opponents; it constantly appears in the news and is used heavily in contemporary political conversation. However, what is fascism? Do the people espousing fascist characterizations on their political opponents know what it means? Furthermore, in the United States, there is a prevalent belief that the nation is immune to fascism. Like the ironic title of Sinclair Lewis’ novel, It Can’t Happen Here, so aptly suggests, people believe that American liberal democracy is an unmalleable constant. During Donald Trump’s second term, concerns regarding a turn to fascism in the United States has seen a profound surge. Most of this worry resides within the political left while people politically aligned to the right don’t see it as so. This work explores the history of fascism within the U.S., as well as abroad, in order to establish a more concrete illustration of what “American Fascism” is. Having established the definition and meaning of fascism, this paper elaborates on how fascist ideologies have worked their way into the modern Republican Party through the influence and sway of Patrick Buchanan and brought into reality by the Trump administration.
Recommended Citation
Cross, Hayden
(2026)
"American Fascism: How Patrick Buchanan Paved the Way for Donald Trump,"
History in the Making: Vol. 19, Article 10.
Available at:
https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/history-in-the-making/vol19/iss1/10