How low can Trump go?

I’m writing for those unsettled by Trump’s behavior but unsure what to call it. I recognize the pattern from years of observing him and my fifth-grade history lessons. Each time I think he’s hit rock bottom, he manages to go lower.

Most people don’t realize that Trump’s actions aren’t random. They’re part of a systematic pattern that follows the fascist playbook. Once you see it, you can’t unsee it. It’s like watching someone follow a recipe to destroy democracy. This pattern isn’t new, as I’ve written about fascism becoming a reality before, but Trump continues to escalate.

Trump is a fascist. When I call Trump a fascist, I mean a leader who uses violence, impunity, and lies to concentrate power and strip away accountability. He’s shown us this repeatedly through his words and actions. The real question isn’t how low he can go, but how low we’ll let him go before we stop him.

Inciting the January 6th Insurrection

On January 6th, 2021, Trump told supporters to fight, claim election theft, and march to the Capitol, then watched as they stormed the building, attacked police, and threatened Congress. The January 6th insurrection marked a turning point in American democracy, revealing how far Trump would go to hold onto power.

Five people died that day. Families lost loved ones. Police officers were beaten, crushed, and sprayed with irritants. Over 140 officers were injured, some permanently disabled. One officer died the next day from strokes possibly linked to Capitol defense stress. The Capitol was desecrated. Trump did nothing to stop it.

When institutions break, it’s not an abstraction. It’s people losing safety, health, and sometimes their lives.

He sat in the White House, watching the violence unfold without calling it off. He waited hours before telling supporters to go home, afterward telling them they were special and that he loved them.

This wasn’t a mistake. This wasn’t poor judgment. This was a calculated attempt to use violence to overturn a democratic election. Trump incited an insurrection because he couldn’t accept that he lost.

Approximately 1,500 people have been charged and hundreds convicted for crimes related to the January 6th attack, according to the Department of Justice. This wasn’t a small protest but an organized, multi-front assault on American democracy.

Pardoning January 6th Insurrectionists

After the insurrection, hundreds were arrested and charged, and many were convicted. They attacked police, broke into the Capitol, threatened lawmakers, and committed crimes against the U.S.

On January 20, 2025, his first day back in office, Trump issued sweeping pardons.

Let that sink in. The man who incited an insurrection has pardoned approximately 1,500 people charged with or convicted of crimes related to the Capitol attack. According to the presidential proclamation, Trump granted clemency to about 1,500 people linked to the January 6th attack. He’s not only rewarding violence but encouraging it, signaling to supporters that crime for him will be protected.

And the pardons keep coming. On November 15, 2025, Trump issued a second pardon to a January 6th defendant who had remained in prison because of a separate conviction for illegally possessing firearms. According to PBS NewsHour, Daniel Edwin Wilson was released after Trump pardoned him for gun offenses discovered during the January 6th investigation. The White House justified it by saying investigators “should have never been there in the first place.”

This is how fascism works. You create a class of people who are above the law because they serve the leader. You reward violence committed in your name. You make it clear that loyalty to you matters more than loyalty to the country.

Once you understand this pattern, everything else makes sense. The pardons aren’t about mercy or justice. They’re about creating a system where loyalty to Trump matters more than the law itself. And on his first day back in office, he made that system real.

Pardoning Criminals Who Harm the Public

The January 6th pardons fit a larger pattern of presidential power abuse. During his first presidency, Trump used pardons to reward allies and signal who he valued. Now, in his second term, he’s escalated this significantly.

He pardoned war criminals, corrupt politicians, and financial criminals who betrayed the public trust and stole from ordinary people.

Some pardoned criminals continued to spread lies, inflame tensions, or undermine the law. Trump didn’t care, sending a message: loyalty to him means the law doesn’t apply.

Trump’s pardon of Roger Stone, convicted of witness tampering and obstruction, is a prime example of egregiousness. Stone continued spreading election fraud lies and endorsing violence.

Another example is Trump’s pardon of Michael Flynn, who admitted to lying to the FBI about Russia contacts. Flynn then promoted conspiracy theories and urged martial law, but Trump pardoned him anyway.

These aren’t isolated cases but part of a pattern of using presidential power to protect criminals serving Trump’s interests. This shows that Trump views the law as a tool to reward loyalty and punish enemies, not as one that applies equally to everyone.

Consider what this means: when a president pardons criminals who then reoffend, he’s partly responsible for the harm they cause. But Trump doesn’t care, having built a system where allies act with impunity, protected from consequences. The January 6th pardons illustrate this.

The Pattern of Fascism

Looking at Trump’s actions, I see echoes of the patterns that led to Hitler’s rise in Germany. The parallels aren’t perfect, but they’re systematic enough to be terrifying. Understanding what the fundamental problem with America is helps explain how we’ve reached this point, where a leader can systematically attack democratic institutions with impunity.

Hitler used violence and intimidation to gain power. Trump incited an insurrection.

Hitler pardoned his supporters who committed crimes. Trump has pardoned insurrectionists.

Hitler created a class of people above the law. Trump uses pardons to protect his allies.

Hitler attacked democratic institutions. Trump attacks elections, courts, and the rule of law.

Hitler used propaganda to control reality. Trump lies constantly and attacks truth-tellers.

The point isn’t that Trump is identical to Hitler. It’s that he’s using familiar tools of fascism—violence, impunity, and lies—to hollow out accountability. In 1923, after Hitler’s failed Beer Hall Putsch, his early coup attempt had light consequences and later pardons, signaling followers that violence in his name would be protected. The pattern repeats.

The parallels are striking, though historical comparisons always require nuance. Trump is following the fascist playbook, and we’re letting him do it.

Fascism isn’t about one person but creating systems that concentrate power and bypass accountability. Pardons, violence, and attacks on institutions all serve to place the leader above the law, where loyalty outweighs justice.

This is why the pattern matters. It’s about the system created by actions, not individual deeds. Every pardon, attack, and lie aim for a government where Trump and his allies are untouchable.

The Stakes

All of this adds up to something bigger than a list of bad decisions. It adds up to a fascist project.

The stakes are high as Trump, back in power, has learned from past errors. He now rigs the system directly, silences opposition more effectively, and uses violence more strategically.

We’re fighting a movement seeking to replace democracy with fascism, believing violence is acceptable for their interests, and that some are above the law.

When leaders ignore the law, it affects more than Washington. It impacts healthcare, voting, and school safety.

This is a fight for America’s soul and democracy. We can’t afford to lose.

The Good News

Despite the danger, there are reasons for hope: the fascist project isn’t inevitable, and Trump faces obstacles.

First, Trump is very old at 79, and age is catching up with him. The demands of the presidency are enormous, and his age suggests his time in office is limited by biology.

Second, Trump is wildly unpopular. Polling shows his approval dropped in his second term, remaining low as most Americans disapprove, see through his lies, and recognize the threat he poses. This unpopularity hampers his consolidation of power and aids resistance.

Third, his heir apparent, JD Vance, isn’t charismatic enough to sustain the MAGA movement. Trump’s movement depends on his charisma and ability to command attention. Vance, with similar authoritarian tendencies, lacks Trump’s supporter mobilization skills. The movement is built around Trump’s personality, not a lasting ideology.

These factors don’t guarantee victory but create opportunities. An unpopular, aging leader without a charismatic successor is vulnerable. The key is whether we can organize well enough to exploit that vulnerability.

The window is open, but won’t stay that way. We must act now while Trump is weak and before a successor emerges. We have advantages but must use them promptly.

What Can Americans Do?

We can’t wait for someone else to stop Trump or assume the system will protect us; we must act.

The good news is that people are already organizing. Groups like Protect Democracy, the Brennan Center for Justice, and local voting rights groups nationwide are working to protect democracy and voting rights and to hold leaders accountable. The message is spreading, and people recognize the threat.

If you’re wondering what to do, start here:

  • Vote in every election, especially down-ballot.
  • Support democratic institutions under attack.
  • Speak out when lies and violence are normalized.
  • Organize with others who see the danger.
  • Hold leaders who enable Trump accountable.
  • Defend the rule of law—no one above it.

Vote in Every Election

Voting is our most powerful tool. Trump lost in 2020 but returned to power in 2024 and continues to spread false claims about stolen elections. We must vote in all elections, from local to presidential, for candidates who protect democracy, not destroy it.

Support Democratic Institutions

Our institutions face attacks from the courts, the media, and elections. We must support and defend them, call out lies, and hold leaders accountable.

Speak Out

Silence enables fascism. We must speak out against Trump’s supporters spreading lies or violence and call out politicians enabling his behavior. We can’t normalize fascism.

Organize

Individual action isn’t enough; we must organize. Join groups fighting for democracy, support organizations protecting voting rights, and collaborate with others who understand the threat.

Hold Leaders Accountable

Politicians enabling Trump must face consequences. Vote them out, support opponents, and show that fascism is unacceptable.

Protect the Rule of Law

The rule of law separates democracy from fascism: in democracy, everyone is subject to it, but in fascism, the leader is above it. We must defend the rule of law and ensure no one, including Trump, is above it.

Conclusion

He’s incited an insurrection, pardoned about 1,500 Capitol-related offenders, and demonstrated fascist tendencies.

The threat is real. The time to act is now.

We can oppose him through voting, organizing, speaking out, defending institutions, and holding leaders accountable.

Each day we wait, Trump gains power, democracy weakens, and fascism grows.

The time for waiting is over.

We must save the republic before it’s too late.

What this analysis reveals is deeper than one man. It illustrates fascism by attacking accountability, creating above-the-law classes, rewarding violence, and punishing truth. Recognizing this isn’t just about stopping Trump but about identifying forces that threaten democracy and building resilient systems.

The fight isn’t over; it’s just beginning, and we’re not alone.

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