Pittsburgh’s “No Kings” rally was among 2600 protests across the nation on October 18. The king metaphor appeals to America’s shared history of righteous revolution against Britain’s George III, but confuses our understanding of the current situation. There are much clearer parallels that place Trump in historical perspective.

A political outsider, he gained power by stoking grievance and scapegoating vulnerable groups. He cultivates blind loyalty in followers who consider him infallible, trusting his instincts over experts and objective facts. He nurtures a sense of overwhelming crisis that justifies any action, without legal or moral limits, against his perceived enemies.

These are the hallmarks, not of monarchy, but of fascism, as meticulously documented in Robert Paxton’s classic stu

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