Trump's radical escalation of projection is giving Americans a clear preview of life under fascism

In film parlance you might call it a “teaser,” a “preview,” or even a “trailer.” It’s when a film studio or production company releases a tiny portion of its planned attraction to a general audience that gives them revealing hints of what’s to come if you stick around for the big show.

Donald Trump dropped some blatant teasers last week revealing what the day-to-day experience of living under a second Trump regime would be like. They all share a common theme or motif, one routinely employed by fascists and despots in autocratic societies to bamboozle the public while keeping their critics (often the media) off balance. The method is called “projection,” and for Trump it is a well-documented, well-established rhetorical tool. The New York Times’ Michelle Goldberg, writing in 2020, described Trump as “a master of projection, and his accusations against others are a decent guide to how he himself will behave.” He has employed it since the 2016 campaign (“Crooked Hillary”), but its usage has increased dramatically as Trump attempts to navigate the legal obstacles that threaten his reelection prospects.

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