To say politics is crazy right now would be an understatement, especially considering we are currently emerging from a government shutdown. But somehow, in the midst of the chaos, there is a man who is seemingly reveling in it. Our current president, Donald Trump, recently indicated in a meeting with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani that he did not mind being perceived as a fascist. While this behavior really isn’t unexpected from our impulsively-spoken leader, it’s still wildly concerning and distasteful to see this coming from a US president.

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, fascism is “a populist philosophy, movement, or regime that exalts nation and often race above the individual, that is associated with a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, and is characterized by severe economic and social regimentation and by forcible suppression of opposition.”

Based on this definition, Trump undeniably fulfills the requirements. He has often blamed systemic problems from the government on minorities and immigrants to act as phony evidence to promote his own close-minded, sheltered ideology, taking it further by using military presence  to control the country through fear and intimidation. He has even gotten to the point of creating an inhumane detention center in Florida called Alligator Alcatraz, which has already had reports of ‘missing persons’ within the first 5 months of it being operational, echoing the concentration camp tactic used by other authoritarian leaders in World War II.

There is an obvious issue with him ruling this way, not only ethically, but also economically and politically. To try to profit off the backs and dehumanize the same people who keep this country and society running is like poisoning the deep roots of a plant and then acting surprised when no fruit grows and the leaves wither. It’s not sustainable for all the underpaid Americans to try and make it in a system that isn’t welcoming for them, and it makes us look immature when working with other countries, yet here he is giggling in meetings about his tyranny like a child on Christmas morning.

The behavior being exhibited by the United States President is incredibly obnoxious and immature for his position, to the point where it’s almost satirically humorous how unprofessional he is. Trump’s casual acceptance of the label ‘fascist’ should be a huge red flag for the American audience, an indication of his cruel and unusual rise to power, and highlights the need for change in politics.