Trump's mention of Nazi Germany in a video isn't entirely unexpected.
This video carries a nod to post-World War I newspaper style and documentary filmmaking of the interwar era, with references to "unifying a kingdom." The Third Reich, a term popularized by Nazi Germany, was frequently used by Hitler to describe the idea of a "thousand-year Reich."
Following criticism over this apparent allusion, the Trump campaign removed the post, claiming the Reich reference was a mistake by a staff member. However, some argue that the term could also refer to the 19th-century unification of Germany rather than Nazism.
The visuals in this monochrome video, as well as its font styles and overall design, are highly reminiscent of the propaganda I've studied for years, including fascist imagery. The initial close-up of Trump surrounded by his followers is reminiscent of 1930s leader worship associated with Hitler and Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. The text outlining the Reich references fonts used on fascist buildings such as Rome's Palazzo della Civilta Italiana.
The depiction of authoritarian aesthetics is unsurprising when considering Trump's expressed intentions – he mentioned being a "dictator" during a Fox News town hall in his second term. He's well-known for praising foreign leaders like Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese head of state Xi Jinping. Moreover, he's sometimes used language resembling Hitler and Mussolini when speaking about immigrants, labeling them as "poisoning the blood" and "vermin."
Trump's affinity for Hitler is no secret. According to CNN's national security correspondent Jim Sciutto in his book "The Return of Great Powers," Trump once declared to chief of staff John Kelly that "Hitler did some good things," mentioning how the Nazi leader "rebuilt the economy" of Germany.
Echoing the fascist style, the headline "Economy Booms!" appears in the video, accompanied by a close-up of Trump, pixels blooming around him to resemble a dictator's halo, signature thumbs-up gesture raised.
With only Trump depicted as recognizable, this piece is representative of the centrality of an autocrat in a nation's imagination. The repetitive references to distant historical events like World War I, which are presented as being in the recent past, are both bizarre and telling. Fascism arose in Italy and Germany from the ashes of that war, and here Trump has been inserted into the role of savior. Trumpism, it seems, is a 21st-century form of fascism.
While the video is not subtle, the messages on immigrants and law-and-order paint a bleak picture. "Border is Closed, 15 Million Illegal Aliens Deported," announces one snippet, while an image of a young Black man in a hoodie being arrested represents "Law & Order Restored."
However, Trump's servile approach to his audience allows them to fill in the propaganda's meaning. It's a deliberate strategy used by skilled propagandists to create an unsettling sense of uncertainty.
"The American Dream is dead" is a repeated mantra by Trump since his 2016 presidential run. Here, it seems to offer a more hopeful message by promising a better future. Yet the union of this promise of a brighter future with nostalgia for a supposedly simpler time, paints a picture of exclusivity. It's a theme that has been notorious in the "Make America Great Again" slogan, closing out the film.
This video previews an illiberal government that plunders from both the fascist era and existing autocratic regimes Trump admires.
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Source: edition.cnn.com
