Leftists have become the monsters they decry

OPINION:

I wrote this article just days before the murder of conservative icon Charlie Kirk. I’ve decided to leave it as it is, warning of impending violence if the left keeps up its violent, unprecedented rhetoric. Message to Charlie: We’ll keep fighting to defend this country. Like you, we mutually pledge our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor. We’ll see you in heaven.

During World War II, Nazi propagandist William Brooke Joyce, known as Lord Haw-Haw, broadcast venomous “Germany Calling” radio speeches from Berlin, targeting British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Joyce mocked Churchill as a “whiskey-guzzling, cigar-chomping, bovine decadent liar” and a “warmonger” responsible for Britain’s war woes. He was aiming to demoralize the British public and Allied troops during events such as the Miracle of Dunkirk. His broadcasts, orchestrated by Joseph Goebbels’ Ministry of Propaganda, were psychological warfare meant to sow division, undermine trust in leadership and weaken resolve.

Fast-forward to 2025, and similar tactics permeate the American political landscape, but with a twist: the propaganda is domestic. Critics of President Trump deploy rhetoric surpassing the venom of Nazi attacks on Churchill. Across legacy and social media, Mr. Trump is derided as a racist, rapist, pathological liar, psychopath and felon, as well as a murderer and a thief. Rosie O’Donnell labeled him a “serial pedophile rapist.”

Polls reveal a disturbing trend. A July 2024 Manhattan Institute survey found that one-third of Democrats wished an assassination attempt on Mr. Trump had succeeded, with 28% to 30% believing America would be “better off” if he were killed. Such sentiments, amplified across social media, risk inciting harm in a polarized nation in which two assassination attempts on Mr. Trump have already occurred.

The irony is stark. The left brands Mr. Trump a “fascist,” “dictator” and “Nazi” while employing strategies reminiscent of totalitarian propaganda. Jennifer Welch and Angie Sullivan, co-hosts of the “I’ve Had It” podcast, exemplify this, labeling the president a “full-blown fascist” and “evil dictator” while spreading lies about his physical and mental decline. These accusations echo Lord Haw-Haw’s mockery of Churchill as “unclean and miserable” but lack the context of wartime necessity.

Unlike Nazi propaganda, which promoted defeatism, today’s rhetoric promotes sedition and violence within a stable democracy.

Lord Haw-Haw’s broadcasts were a wartime desperation tactic using radio, the era’s most advanced technology. Today’s propaganda spreads instantly via social media, intensifying its reach and impact. Hashtags such as #trumpdead trend, fueled by trolls and amplified by mainstream voices, create a toxic environment where dehumanization thrives. Compare this with World War II, in which a foreign enemy sought to destabilize a nation at war. The assaults on Mr. Trump feel more personal and unhinged, targeting not just him but also everyone who supports him.

The dehumanization of Mr. Trump’s supporters mirrors Nazi vilification of Jews, portraying mere political opponents as existential threats. A 2025 poll showed half of liberals believe assassinating figures such as Mr. Trump or Elon Musk would be “justified,” signaling an “assassination culture.” Terms such as “formal deprogramming” for MAGA “cult members” or treating them as a “public health crisis” evoke eugenics-era justifications. A 2024 National Institutes of Health paper on a survey about “MAGA Republicans’ views of American democracy and society and support for political violence in the United States” even suggests “prevention measures” for treating such individuals. This raises chilling concerns about intent.

The left’s hypocrisy is staggering. They accuse others of “fascism” while deploying exaggeration, dehumanization and fearmongering tactics. In short, they employ fascist techniques in an attempt to destroy manufactured fascists. In doing so, “Nazi” becomes an empty slur. If they can convince people that Mr. Trump is Adolf Hitler reincarnated, attacking him and his supporters becomes not just morally defensible but also a requirement of every “good” citizen, mirroring how Nazis rationalized their atrocities.

Today’s rhetoric is insidious, propagating hate within a democracy where free speech should foster debate, not death wishes. Vilifying Mr. Trump’s supporters as subhuman parallels Nazi antisemitism, eroding civil discourse. As the left fights Mr. Trump’s agenda, their rhetoric risks spiraling into real-world violence.

Fortunately, Lord Haw-Haw’s propaganda failed, often strengthening British resolve as people laughed at his absurdities. His broadcasts of divisive propaganda were clearly a mix of psychological projection and consummate hypocrisy. Similarly, the American left’s relentless vilification of perceived enemies is transforming them into the very monsters they decry.

As Mr. Trump continues to deconstruct their liberal agenda, their fight for survival will turn desperate in the face of defeat. I am convinced we are at a more dangerous juncture in our nation’s history than anyone realizes.

Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that, if America lasts for a thousand years, men will still say, “This was their finest hour.” Hat tip, Churchill.

• Susan D. Harris can be reached at www.susandharris.com.