When I was studying history and totalitarianism some 50 years ago, I never imagined that during my lifetime, a president of the United States would employ fascism to achieve his political goals. Conventional wisdom would presuppose that that the horrors of World War II would permanently inoculate our society against the destructive seduction of fascism. Nevertheless, the current president has shown himself willing to employ any means necessary to increase his political power, personal influence, and wealth. To achieve those self-serving ends, he uses a full array of fascist methods and tools.
Like the more notorious megalomaniacal fascist leaders, he projects a strong, patriarchal, all-knowing persona who can work wonders, irrespective of reality. He promotes a cult of personality that stimulates the fawning adulation of followers who find his delusional, simplistic worldview reassuring. Like other fascist leaders he relies upon demonization of his political opponents, racial stereotyping, and scapegoating of minorities.
Historically fascist leaders have used an unquestioned allegiance to the nation state to rally their base. This president uses all the symbols and memes of patriotism to engender an unquestioning allegiance to himself. He wraps himself in the flag, figuratively and literally, so that his actual goals, values, and ends cannot be questioned, nor the means he uses to achieve them. Because the ostensible goal of the fascist leader is the service of the all-important nation state, he cannot be questioned. To question such a leader is tantamount to treason or sedition.