ABSTRACT
Neofascistic politics in the United States extend beyond Trump. He rose to power because of the longstanding cultivation of racist, authoritarian, and xenophobic beliefs on the American right in the years running-up to his election in 2016. This chapter explores the ways in which neofascistic movement politics are embraced by a much of the Republican base, as I demonstrate via my analyses of national survey data. I discuss rising neofascistic movement politics and “alt-right” extremism in Charlottesville, the “Reopen” America protests and associated militia mobilization, rising extremism in law enforcement, and neofascist politics in the 2021 Capitol insurrection.
I continue with a comprehensive review of Trump’s base, identifying how a large segment of this group embraces neofascistic values. Using national survey data, I examine various predictors of Trump support, including reactionary socio-political values, support for political violence, and various demographic factors. I find little evidence that Trump support is driven by economic insecurity, and strong evidence that it is tied to reactionary social attitudes and neofascistic values. Support for neo-Nazism and the “alt-right” are significant attitudinal predictors of Trump support. These overlaps are expected when the president has consistently sought to tear down the boundaries between the conservative and neofascist right.
