Half the country sees former President Donald Trump as a fascist, amplifying concerns raised in recent days by Vice President Kamala Harris and past members of Trump’s own administration. Far fewer in a new ABC News/Ipsos poll level the same charge against Harris.

Nearly two-thirds also say Trump often departs from the truth, again more than say so about Harris. But Harris gets more criticism than Trump for pandering for votes by promoting policies she doesn’t intend to carry out – underscoring challenges for both candidates as the fur flies in their increasingly heated presidential race.

    • halcyoncmdr@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Remember that ~40% have been told that fascism, communism, socialism, and the Democratic party are all the same for the last 40+ years by “news” organisations.

      • RedditRefugee69@lemmynsfw.com
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        2 months ago

        And frankly, we’ve been blowing the fascism whistle for a long time. Though the GOP/Trump are indisputably fascist now, a lot of people are numb to the alarm and don’t take it seriously.

        The boy who cried fascist.

        • BlemboTheThird@lemmy.ca
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          2 months ago

          The boy who cried fascist, except he never lied about it a single time, there’s just a lot of people who didn’t care if a few sheep get taken, and refuse to care now that we’re running out of sheep.

        • JaggedRobotPubes@lemmy.world
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          2 months ago

          Not the boy who cried fascist.

          A man who was so consistently fascist over such a long period of time that it duplicated the effect, even though nobody who pointed it out was exaggerating.

          “The boy who cried fascist” would mean people were saying it when it wasn’t true. The stupid he makes is so baffling that it can seem that way though, can’t it?

      • jballs@sh.itjust.works
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        2 months ago

        That’s what makes their messaging so effective. They just mislabel all sorts of shit so words lose all meaning.

    • Optional@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      My understanding from my remaining MAGA friend is that they’re fed a steady diet of “liberals believe crazy theories” all day long from all the sources they’re allowed. e.g. if liberals believe a thing there’s absolutely no way it can be true.

      Now the fact that this circumvents reason and agency are (apparently) irrelevant.

      • prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        2 months ago

        e.g. if liberals believe a thing there’s absolutely no way it can be true.

        This kind of thinking is what will be the downfall of humanity. Already is happening.

  • snooggums@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    Nearly two-thirds also say Trump often departs from the truth

    JFC this is way too low.

    • Red_October@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Fascism thrives on establishing an “In” group that has all the power and all the rights, and an “Out” group that gets nothing but suffering and is scapegoated for everything. You can guess which group that half thinks they’ll be a part of.

      • prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        The problem is that they always need an “out” group. So what happens when you get rid of all of the illegal immigrants? Suddenly, you’re no longer part of the “in” group because you’re neurodivergent or have the wrong color eyes. Or whatever becomes the new “out” group.

        Then you’re dead

        • pivot_root@lemmy.world
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          2 months ago

          My hypothesized order of scapegoats is:

          • Non-cis gender identity
          • Sexual orientation
          • Neurodivergence
          • Race
          • Women
          • Wealth

          They can’t be too obvious about the end state being the rich having absolute domination over the poor, nor can they jump straight to demographics that have historically fought for equal rights.

          • Em Adespoton@lemmy.ca
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            2 months ago

            You forgot people of color and people who don’t hold an ever-narrowing definition of correct religious faith. And people belonging to unions.

    • Zacpod@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      This. Half of America likes fascist ideas, but don’t want to to support THE WORD “fascism” since that’s a bad word. Fucking idjits.

    • Metz@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Unfortunately not true. When I look at how many people have been voting on the right recently. For example among AfD voters in Germany (which got 30% in some areas), Trump is still very popular. The cancer is rampant here too.

      • NABDad@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        I think it’s wrong to think that because the right supports Trump that they don’t think he’s a fascist. A significant portion of those on the right support Trump because they think he’s a fascist.

        The important questions are, of the Americans who think Trump is a fascist:

        How many think it should disqualify him?

        How many plan to vote for him despite him being a fascist?

        How many plan to vote for him because he’s a fascist?

      • ChocoboRocket@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        A good chunk of Trump’s cancer is caused by terrible left wing policy.

        I hate Trump and everything about the far right, but I can understand people falling in love with the idea of a strongman who will cut through bullshit and do what people want.

        The left is supposed to mitigate income inequality, and make life good for their citizens.

        Both left/right idealogies are entirely owned by corporate interests across the globe - this is the crux of the entire issue.

        The problems facing the middle class are entirely artificial and intentional. There are a myriad of reasons, but the end result is that we have one societies/laws/reality for the wealthy, and a completely different set of rules for the population.

        The left promises to solve everything with equality and the right promises to resolve everything with hierarchy.

        Neither idealogy has any intention of doing anything but funnel as much money/power to big business until their political careers are done.

        The obvious difference is the “Right” idealogies are objectively bad for everyone but the ultra wealthy. Unfortunately being ultra wealthy gives you the ability to own national anti-reality propaganda networks.

    • Damage@feddit.it
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      2 months ago

      I’m pretty sure a good percentage of those who believe him a fascists also approve of that

    • EleventhHour@lemmy.world
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      If you’re sitting at a table alone, and 10 Nazis come to sit with you and you don’t get up, there are now 11 Nazis at that table.

    • frunch@lemmy.world
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      They’ll just call your bad news “fake news” and move on with their day ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

    • Joe@discuss.tchncs.de
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      Is there some pop culture reference that I’m unaware of, or why are you talking nonsense?

      • ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca
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        2 months ago

        The reference is to Champagne and Sparkling Wine

        US decided they can call their Sparkling Wine Champagne because people were choosing the foreign product

        • Joe@discuss.tchncs.de
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          Sure, ok. It’s just odd to suggest that nazi germany was the first or has a claim to the word.

          Fascism has a very long history, with many recognised variations. National Socialism (ie. Nazi state) is just one instance, and far from the first. Most people think of Mussolini’s Italy when they think of fascism - also not the first though.

          The word itself derives from the latin “fasces” (a bundle [of sticks]), and had political connotations back then.

      • TwanHE@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        Not sure of the origin but I’ve read enough brain-dead takes that are similar in idea.

    • orclev@lemmy.world
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      Not quite every Democratic voter as it’s only 50%. Every Democrat and a majority of independents said he lies since that was 2/3rds and a bit over 30% of the population are Republicans with another about 10% being made up of right leaning independents.

    • PuppyAttack@lemmus.org
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      2 months ago

      Among registered voters who think Trump is a fascist, 8% support him anyway.

      Probably a few Republicans in there.

  • dhork@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    … Yet a good chunk will vote for him anyway, because they think Trump is hurting the right people.

  • Tiefling IRL@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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    Half of Americans don’t view him as a fascist and will gladly vote for him, and a portion of the other half sees it as a sign of leadership