Anne Applebaum, a historian and commentator, has expressed concerns that the US, under President Donald Trump, is exhibiting signs of fascism. In an interview with La Repubblica, she cited the glorification of violence and the creation of paramilitary groups, such as ICE, as indicators of this drift. Although she acknowledged that the US remains a functioning democracy with freedoms, she highlighted recent violent incidents involving ICE as troubling.
Applebaum criticized Trump’s lack of a personal ideology, suggesting it allows authoritarian groups—like Christian nationalists and white nationalists—to rise in influence, pushing toward autocracy. She noted that Trump’s language mirrors that of Hitler, especially regarding immigrants, and warned that a second Trump term could be more radical than the first.
Despite her pointed critiques, Applebaum urged democratic institutions to engage actively against injustice and collaborate globally to protect democracy, rejecting any approaches that flatter Trump in hopes of gaining favor.
Her husband, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, acknowledged his wife’s expertise, indicating that she has previously voted Republican. While he has criticized Trump in the past, the Polish government seeks to manage its relationship cautiously with the Trump administration, though tensions exist between government officials and pro-Trump factions in Poland.
