MONITOR

Fascism Has Arrived in America. Now What?

Trump is an autocrat, and here’s why you should care

Protestors are tear gassed as the police disperse them near the White House on June 1, 2020 as demonstrations against George Floyd’s death continue. Photo: Roberto Schmidt/AFP/Getty Images

When the now-viral video of police on horseback galloping into protesters at the White House while launching tear gas and pepper bombs released last week, a collective gasp could be heard around the world. U.S. President Donald Trump had presumably decided he was in need of a new character development and a sick plot twist. His latest role? America’s First Autocrat. After a phone call with Vladimir Putin following news of Trump hiding in the White House bunker as protesters marched their way to his doorstep, it’s obvious that Putin’s, ahem, understudy — after some coaching — was ready to take center stage.

What was the purpose of the mayhem caused by police in front of the White House? Simple: It was a photo-op of Trump with a Bible he clearly doesn’t read in front of a church he doesn’t attend. The once seemingly hyperbolic comparisons to Hitler became crystallized. Trump signaled, through a series of disturbing events last week, that he is prepared to do whatever is necessary to hold onto power, even if it means literally and figuratively trampling on the rights of Americans.

Images matter. Just as they did in the 1950s and 1960s when pictures of Emmett Till’s battered body, police dogs, and fire…