However, there is no known evidence that Biden, Harris, or any of their aides played a personal role in the prosecution of Trump. And polls show that more Americans think Trump is more of a threat to the constitutional order than the president or vice president. In an August Associated Press-NORC poll, only 28% of Americans said Trump was committed to democracy. By contrast, an ABC News/Ipsos poll released Friday found that 49% of registered voters called Trump a fascist, compared to 22% for Harris.
This may explain why Ms. Harris has in recent days launched a campaign against fascism in hopes of motivating existing supporters to vote while also persuading undecided voters to support her. This may explain why they took advantage of his remarks. Trump pushed back against being labeled a fascist on Fox News on Friday. “Everyone knows that’s not true,” he said. “They keep making all kinds of calls to me until something sticks.”
Kelly is not the only person who has worked for Mr. Trump who is concerned about his authoritarian instincts. Mr. Trump’s appointee, retired Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is quoted in Bob Woodward’s new book, War, calling Mr. Trump “a fascist through and through.” In recent days, 13 other former Trump aides released a letter backing Kelly’s assessment and warning against the former president’s “absolute and unchecked desire for power.”
Others who have fallen out with Trump have a different view. Former national security adviser John R. Bolton said fascism is an “all-encompassing ideology” and that “Mr. Trump is incapable of philosophical thinking.” But he’s still dangerous, Bolton said. “President Trump’s second term will likely compound the damage he did in his first term, some of which will likely be irreversible,” he said. It’s not because I’m thinking about it.”
In any case, advisers such as Mr. Kelly, Mr. Bolton, and General Milley tried to restrain Mr. Trump during his first term and persuade him to stop doing what they deemed unwise and illegal. There will be none of that in his second term, as Trump has learned to avoid establishment figures who resist more extreme demands. Instead, he has recently surrounded himself with more radical advisers who encourage Mr. Trump’s most anti-democratic instincts.
