Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich warned of the Donald Trump-inspired GOP’s progression “toward becoming the American fascist party” to maintain power in a new essay for The Guardian.
Reich, who served as labor secretary in President Bill Clinton’s administration, contrasted the Democratic Party as “still largely committed to democracy” to the GOP as “careening at high velocity toward authoritarianism. OK, fascism.”
As a prime example, the ex-Cabinet member cited Republican Tennessee lawmakers’ expulsion this month of two state House Democrats for joining protesters in calls for more gun control after a school shooting.
“We are witnessing the logical culmination of win-at-any-cost Trump Republican politics — scorched-earth tactics used by Republicans to entrench their power, with no justification other than that they can,” Reich said in the article titled “The modern Republican party is hurtling towards fascism.”
“Without two parties committed to democratic means to resolve differences in ends, the party committed to democracy is at a tactical disadvantage,” he warned. “If it is to survive, eventually it, too, will sacrifice democratic means to its own ends.”
“Donald Trump is not singularly responsible for this dangerous trend, but he has legitimized and encouraged the ends-justify-the-means viciousness now pushing the GOP toward becoming the American fascist party,” he concluded.