Often, when we analyze current events, we find that these are not the first time such figures or movements have arisen. Donald Trump is considered quite unanimously as a populist, a politician who rallies voters against certain groups. 

Populism in and of itself is not right-wing; socialists like Zohran Mamdani are also populist, rallying the voter base against the wealthy. However, Donald Trump has opted to rally his base against a different group: immigrants. 

His empowering and expansion of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, more commonly known as ICE, has drawn incredible controversy. As a result of the lack of training and restraint of ICE agents, U.S. citizens have been shot, most notably Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti.

Following the lack of prosecution against these agents, massive anti-ICE protests have erupted around the United States. Millions of Americans, young and old, have taken to the streets, demanding the removal of ICE.

Many modern political commentators have linked these incidents and policies to the rise of Nazi Germany. After their massive electoral victory in 1933, the Nazi Party quickly seized control, centralizing power around Adolf Hitler by 1936.

Hitler based his campaign on reviving Germany, at first blaming Communists for the loss of World War One before moving on to blaming Jews. Between the start of his rule and his eventual death in 1945, Hitler killed an estimated six million Jews.

Modern commentators find many striking similarities between the two, as Trump’s Make America Great Again campaign held an eerie resemblance to Hitler’s revival of the German people. 

The similarities between Hitler’s Gestapo and Trump’s ICE are further uncovered in this podcast.