This Week In Fascism is a weekly Refusefascism.org feature that exposes the rapid unfolding of a fascist USA and the necessity to stop it.
There is no summer slowdown for this fascist regime. Instead this week the Trump regime marched forward with their agenda of voter suppression. The Trump regime’s obsession with ‘voter fraud’ was formalized through the launch of an investigation (thanks to an executive order). Trump’s ‘voter fraud’ panel sent letters to states this week demanding detailed private information on voters from each state. While forty-four states have outright refused to cooperate, this regime is making dangerous demands and is not likely to accept their refusal without a fight.
Crusading Against the Press
- June 29: In response to light criticism from MSNBC’s Morning Joe Trump (via Tweet) called host Joe Scarborough a “psycho” and demeaned the intelligence and personal appearance of the female host Mika Brezinski.
- July 2: In an escalation of his vicious war against journalist and mainstream media, Donald Trump tweeted a video depicting him beating and body-slamming a personification of CNN. The video itself was created by a verifiable white supremacist and anti-semite. The journalist who exposed the creator has been targeted by Trump’s lynch-mob supporters. Brian Stelter a CNN reporter, tweeted that it was “a sad day when the President of the United States encourages violence against reporters.”
Emboldening Shock Troops
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- June 28 Boston, MA: Glass panels were smashed by rocks at Boston’s Holocaust Memorial.
- July 1: The National Rifle Association (NRA) released a video in early June that was nothing less than a threatening call to arms. When presented with substantive public criticism from the Women’s March and many in the media, the NRA doubled down in their attack creating a new video ad that paints anyone who dares to oppose this ad or the Trump/Pence regime part of the “violent left,” perpetuates the fascists victimization, distorts the truth on free speech, and underscores the white supremacy that defines their existence. It is particularly ominous that they specifically target Tamika Mallery one of the leaders of the Women’s March movement.
- July 1 Gettysburg, PA: Hundreds of Trump-supporting fascists, many carrying semi-automatics gathered to defend confederate graves and monuments in Gettysburg from members of anti-fa (who had no intention of coming and made that public). While no opposition was present, members of the KKK, Sons of Confederate Veterans and other white supremacists held a Confederate rally.
- July 2: Pro-Trump fascist groups counter protested impeachment marches in several cities. They carried modern Nazi-flags, harassed anti-trump protesters, and threatened and in at least one city carried out violence.
- July 3 Lakewood, NJ: The holocaust memorial at Congregation Sons of Israel was vandalized with a bloodandsoil.org (blood and soil was an important part of Nazi Germany’s ideology) banner that read, “Heebs will not divide us.”
Attacking Women, LGBT people, and Muslims
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- June 28 Washington, D.C: Trump appointed Bethany Kozma to serve as Senior Advisor to the Office of Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment. Kozma is a violently anti-trans fascist who has a long record of partnership with Christian Fascists organizations and most recently was part of leading campaigns to bar transgender students from accessing the bathroom associated with their gender identity. She perpetuates false and bigoted claims that will now be elevated given her new position. Thus Trump ended Pride Month without a single affirmation or acknowledgement of LGBTQ pride but instead another appointment of someone who will work to shred LGBTQ rights.
- June 29 Washington, D.C: Trump nominated Eric Dreiband to lead the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division. It is ludicrous that someone who has a legacy of defending companies against discrimination lawsuits and a university’s anti-trans bathroom policy is going to advance civil rights.
- July 3 Afghanistan: The State Department rejected travel visas for an-all girl Afghan robotics team who hoped to watch their robot compete in an international competition in Washington, D.C. later this month. While not on the regime’s official banlist, State Department data indicates that very few Afghan people are able obtain U.S. Visas.<
Waging War on Science and the Planet
- June 29 Washington, D.C: In a speech at the Energy Department on “energy dominance” or what would be more accurately titled “plan for degradation” Trump called for an end to the “war on coal” and excluded any mention of clean energy except to mischaracterize nuclear energy.
- July 3 Washington, D.C: Trump’s plan for “energy dominance” is shaping up. According to an federal notice, the regime is actively pursuing massive expansion of offshore drilling in the Atlantic, Arctic, and Pacific waters despite its catastrophic impacts for human and environmental health.
- June 30 Washington, D.C: The last three employees in Science Division of the White House Office of Science and Technology have left their post. As of now the science division is unstaffed as a result of this regime’s contempt for science that doesn’t fit its political, religious, or economic agenda.
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As Refuse Fascism’s call for July 15th nationwide demonstrations states, “ The Trump/Pence government has been step by step criminalizing dissent and bludgeoning the truth with worse to come. Stripping away basic rights and the rule of law is at the core of fascism. Group after group is demonized and targeted along a trajectory leading to real horrors. We must not let this be normalized. History has shown that fascism must be stopped before it becomes too late.”
If you are outraged and anguished by what you have read, join a July 15th protest near you and invite all your friends and family to join you in protesting and demanding: Trump/Pence Must Go.
- July 15 Protest and Demand: THE TRUMP/PENCE REGIME MUST GO!
Find the protest near you. Facebook.