I Study Fascism. I’ve Already Fled America.

15 snips

Nov 5, 2025

In this engaging discussion, Jason Stanley, a philosophy professor and expert on fascism, shares his insights on the alarming trends in American politics. He boldly describes the current regime under Trump as authoritarian and outlines how education plays a crucial role in shaping nationalist narratives. Stanley discusses why he views America as experiencing a ‘coup’ and the global rise of far-right movements. He also reflects on his move to Canada, which allows him greater freedom to advocate for democracy and address the moral crises of our time.

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INSIGHT

Education Enables Authoritarian Narratives

Jason Stanley argues fascist politics rely on education that glorifies a nation's founding and excludes minorities.
He links U.S. historical narratives centered on white Christian men to contemporary replacement theory.

INSIGHT

Fascism Defined By Leader And Scapegoating

Stanley defines fascism as a cult of a leader promising national restoration against scapegoated groups.
He says U.S. politics today resembles German fascism in practice, even if private beliefs vary.

INSIGHT

Power Without Popular Support

Stanley says the Trump regime acts like an authoritarian power that no longer needs popular support because it controls key levers.
He warns the Supreme Court and federal instruments are being used to entrench that power.

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More To The Story: Jason Stanley isn’t afraid to use the F-word when talking about President Donald Trump. The author of How Fascism Works and Erasing History: How Fascists Rewrite the Past to Control the Future is clear: He believes the United States is currently under an authoritarian regime led by a fascist leader. At a time when the Trump administration is putting increasing pressure on private and public universities to conform or lose funding, Stanley recently left his position at Yale University and moved his family to Canada, where he’s now the Bissell-Heyd chair in American studies at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy at the University of Toronto. The move, he says, has allowed him to talk about the US in a way that wouldn’t have been possible if he remained in the country. On this week’s More To The Story, Stanley traces the recent rise of fascist regimes around the globe, and explains why he describes what’s happening in the US today as a “coup” and why he thinks the speed and scope of the Trump administration’s hardline policies could ultimately lead to significant pushback from those opposed to the president.

Producer: Josh Sanburn | Editor: Kara McGuirk-Allison | Theme music: Fernando Arruda and Jim Briggs | Copy editor: Nikki Frick | Digital producer: Artis Curiskis | Deputy executive producer: Taki Telonidis | Executive producer: Brett Myers | Executive editor: James West | Host: Al Letson

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Read: He Studies Fascism: Is He Now Living Through It? (Mother Jones)

Listen:Trump’s New World (Dis)Order (Reveal)

Watch: We Study Fascism, and We’re Leaving the US (The New York Times)

Read: How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them (Random House)

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