Trump's America Echoes Nazi Germany, Historian Warns

Columnist draws parallels between Trump's rhetoric, policies and the rise of Hitler in 1930s Germany

Mar. 19, 2026 at 4:05am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

In a chilling op-ed, journalist and historian Jamie Stiehm draws stark comparisons between the political climate under President Donald Trump and the conditions that enabled Adolf Hitler's rise to power in 1930s Germany. Stiehm highlights similarities in the leaders' use of grandiose architecture, mass rallies, grievance-fueled rhetoric, and attacks on democratic institutions.

Why it matters

As the United States grapples with the lasting impacts of the Trump presidency and the January 6th attack on the Capitol, Stiehm's warnings about the dangers of authoritarianism and the erosion of democratic norms serve as a sobering reminder of history's capacity to repeat itself if left unchecked.

The details

Stiehm draws parallels between Trump's plans to renovate the Kennedy Center and Hitler's architectural projects in Berlin, as well as the charged, hours-long MAGA rallies and the mass Nazi rallies of the 1930s. She also compares the white supremacist violence in Charlottesville and the January 6th attack on the Capitol to the Kristallnacht pogrom in Nazi Germany.

  • In 2017, a white supremacist rally took place in Charlottesville, Virginia.
  • On January 6, 2021, a mob attacked the US Capitol in an attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

The players

Donald Trump

The 45th President of the United States, whose rhetoric and policies Stiehm compares to those of Adolf Hitler.

Adolf Hitler

The leader of Nazi Germany whose rise to power in the 1930s Stiehm sees parallels to in Trump's America.

Albert Speer

Hitler's personal architect who oversaw the construction of grandiose buildings in Berlin to mark the Third Reich.

Stephen Miller

A senior advisor to President Trump known for his hardline immigration policies, whom Stiehm compares to Nazi officials.

Norman Eisen

A historian of the Czech Republic who wrote about the loss of "whimsy" and "eccentric spirit" in wartime Prague, which Stiehm sees as analogous to Trump's Washington.

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.'”

— Jamie Stiehm, Journalist and historian

The takeaway

Stiehm's chilling comparison of Trump's America to the rise of Nazi Germany serves as a stark warning about the dangers of authoritarian tendencies and the fragility of democratic institutions. Her call to heed the lessons of history underscores the urgent need for vigilance in protecting democratic norms and values.