Authoritarianism Expert Breaks Down Donald Trump’s Madison Square Garden Rally

Authoritarianism expert Ruth Ben-Ghiat delivered a damning critique of former President Donald Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Sunday.

The history professor at New York University, who has warned extensively of the dictatorial threats posed by the Republican presidential nominee, used X (formerly Twitter) to comment on multiple controversial moments at the event.

When speakers claimed that “they” (without explaining who “they” actually were) had tried to assassinate Trump, she responded: “The purpose of this is to conjure a threat environment sufficient to justify authoritarian action if they win. Old trick of those planning coups as well.”

To Trump’s claim that non-supporters are “the enemy from within,” Ben-Ghiat wrote: “Where have I heard this before.”

“And there we have it: pure Fascism,” she said of another speaker saying there has to be a 100 million vote landslide victory for Trump and that “we need to slaughter this other people.”

And to the speaker calling 2016 Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton a “sick son of a bitch,” she said: “Violence misogyny and racism are now the brand of the GOP. This is the apotheosis of Trump’s Fascistic use of rallies to radicalize followers so they will be ready to follow the leader and commit violence on his behalf.”