History Doesn’t Repeat — But It Sure Does Rhyme

From Hitler to Trump: What Grievance Politics and Authoritarian Messaging Have in Common.

Let’s get one thing straight up front: Donald Trump is not Adolf Hitler.

He didn’t start a world war (but is starting a tariff war). He didn’t orchestrate a genocide. And he didn’t rise to power in a smoking crater of a post-war Germany.

But if we stop there, pat ourselves on the back, and move on — we miss the point entirely.

Because history isn’t here to make us feel better. It’s here to warn us.

And when you look past the surface — past the uniforms and the accents and the decades of distance — the tactics used by authoritarian-leaning leaders follow a strikingly familiar playbook:

Grievance. Scapegoating. Propaganda. Crisis. Repeat.

Grievance: The First Ingredient

Every strongman needs a story — one where you are the victim, and they are your only hope.

In Hitler’s case, Germany had been “stabbed in the back” after World War I. He blamed Jews, communists, and liberal elites for everything — the economy, the loss of national pride, the “decay of culture.” His promise? To make Germany great again.

Sound familiar?

Trump didn’t inherit a war-torn nation, but he found grievances aplenty: forgotten workers, immigrants “taking our jobs,” a corrupt system “rigged” against the people. And just like Hitler, he positioned himself not as a politician — but as a savior. The only one who could “fix it.”

The Enemy Within

Authoritarians never just run against policies — they run against people.

For Hitler, it was Jews, intellectuals, and Marxists — portrayed not as fellow citizens, but as parasites, traitors, and threats to purity.

Trump’s villains changed depending on the day: immigrants, journalists, Muslims, BLM protesters, or election officials. But the pattern held — find a target, amplify fear, and rally the base around shared outrage.

Crisis: Use It or Create It

The Reichstag Fire in 1933? A literal blaze, used by Hitler to justify the suspension of civil liberties and the jailing of political enemies.

Trump’s version? A steady flame of manufactured panic: migrant caravans, stolen elections, “American carnage,” and a pandemic used as a prop for blame instead of action. And of course — the grand finale — January 6th. A self-made crisis built on lies, loyalty tests, and flag-waving fury.

The Big Lie: Because the Truth Is Inconvenient

The Nazis didn’t invent propaganda, but they sure did industrialize it. Goebbels’ golden rule? Repeat the lie until it becomes the truth — or at least until people give up trying to tell the difference.

Trump skipped the middleman and went straight to Twitter. He didn’t need a state-run press; he had followers, influencers, and a media ecosystem that echoed every word. Fake news. Witch hunt. Rigged. Over and over and over.

The goal isn’t to convince everyone. It’s to confuse enough people so no one knows what’s real anymore.

Law and Order — As a Costume

Nothing says “defender of democracy” like chanting “Lock her up” at a campaign rally.

Authoritarians love law and order — as long as they’re the ones writing the laws and giving the orders. Hitler built an entire legal system designed to punish dissent and reward loyalty. Trump? He pressured the DOJ to act like his personal legal firm, called judges “biased,” and declared elections invalid when he lost.

It’s not about justice. It’s about control.

So Why Talk About This?

Because we love democracy, not because we’re trying to start a fight.

Because too many people think “it can’t happen here,” when what they really mean is “it hasn’t happened yet.”

Because history doesn’t give you a blinking red warning light — it gives you patterns.

And if we ignore them, we’re not just forgetting history — we’re inviting it to repeat itself.

Takeaway:

Don’t get distracted by surface-level differences. Look at the playbook.

When someone rises by blaming others, bending truth, stoking chaos, and demanding loyalty over law — history is tapping us on the shoulder.

Let’s pay attention.

Today’s newsletter inspired by the Netflix Series: Hitler and the Nazis - I recommend watching

Julie Bolejack, MBA