Comparisons Drawn Between Trump's America and Nazi Germany

Columnist sees parallels between Trump's actions and the rise of Hitler in 1930s Germany

Mar. 18, 2026 at 7:00am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

In a column, writer Jamie Stiehm draws stark comparisons between President Donald Trump's America and the rise of Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany in the 1930s. Stiehm highlights similarities in their architectural plans, mass rallies, grievance-based politics, and attacks on democratic institutions, warning that Trump's actions are eroding American democracy much like the Nazis did in Germany.

Why it matters

The comparisons made in this column raise serious concerns about the health of American democracy and the potential for authoritarian tendencies to take hold, mirroring the disturbing path that Germany took in the lead-up to World War II. As a respected historian and commentator, Stiehm's perspective adds weight to growing fears about the fragility of democratic norms and institutions under the Trump presidency.

The details

Stiehm points to several specific actions by Trump that she sees as paralleling the rise of Hitler, including plans to renovate or demolish iconic Washington, D.C. landmarks like the Kennedy Center and the White House East Wing. She also draws connections between Trump's charged MAGA rallies and the mass rallies staged by the Nazis, as well as the violence and attacks on democratic institutions like the January 6th assault on the U.S. Capitol. Stiehm argues that Trump, like Hitler, has surrounded himself with a cadre of unscrupulous advisers who have helped undermine the government from within.

  • In 2017, a white supremacist rally was held in Charlottesville, Virginia.
  • On January 6, 2021, a mob attacked the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to overturn the 2020 election.

The players

Donald Trump

The former president of the United States whose actions and rhetoric have drawn comparisons to the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party in 1930s Germany.

Adolf Hitler

The leader of the Nazi party who rose to power in Germany in the 1930s and whose regime was responsible for the Holocaust and World War II.

Albert Speer

Hitler's personal architect who helped design grandiose buildings and monuments to mark the Third Reich's chapter in history.

Stephen Miller

A senior advisor to President Trump who has been criticized for his hardline immigration policies.

Norman Eisen

A historian of the Czech Republic who wrote about how the "whimsy" and "eccentric spirit" of Washington, D.C. was "lost" and "broken" under the Trump presidency.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“Trump's Washington, like wartime Prague, knows an uncounted casualty of war. As a historian of the Czech Republic, Norman Eisen, wrote, "Its whimsy (was) lost, its eccentric spirit broken.”

— Norman Eisen, Historian of the Czech Republic

The takeaway

This column serves as a stark warning about the dangers of authoritarian tendencies and the erosion of democratic norms, drawing unsettling parallels between the Trump presidency and the rise of Nazi Germany. It underscores the fragility of American democracy and the need for vigilance in protecting its core institutions and values.