I saw an interview on Lawrence O’Donnell’s show with Frank Rich on “The Future of Trump’s Cult,” where Rich discusses his article in NY Magazine titled, “What Will Happen to The Trump Toadies?” The spoiler is in the subtitle “Look to Nixon’s defenders, and the Vichy collaborators, for clues”.
Yikes.
Rich points out that “Trump is not Hitler,” but then goes on to illustrate that Trump’s allies, enablers, sycophants and profiteers are pretty much the same as Hitler’s appeasers and admirers. And like those who defended Nixon, and appeased Hitler, and sold out their country in Vichy, history will not be kind. It may take decades for all the truth to come out, but it will. And the Nixon analogy is inadequate, because Trump is in certain ways worse. “Nixon abused his office. He also tried to throw a Presidential campaign. But it would never occur to him to collaborate and aid the Soviet Union, America’s own enemy.”
The article is long, but well worth the read. Rich shares the parallels of Lindbergh, Ford and GM, “America First,” Father Coughlin, Philippe Pétain, Lord Londonberry and many others. It concludes:
Trump’s enablers and collaborators are more Londonderry than [Lawrence] Hogan [who was the first Republican on the House Judiciary Committee to come out in favor of impeaching Nixon]. It is too late for them to save their reputations. We must hope that it is not too late to save the country they have betrayed.