If Trump is a Fascist he has to be the stupidest and most unorganised Fascist leader ever. And if he has merely been gradually aiming towards Fascism the latter still applies. Where is his centrally directed and organised paramilitary style street thug groups violently attacking

political opponents? Yes, Proud Boys, but have they been consistently publicly endorsed by Trump throughout his leadership and have they returned that support from the outset? Does Trump have any meaningful degree of control over them? Are they a mass, mobilised movement? Where

is the brutal state suppression of legitimate democratic opponents? The concentration camps for them? The torturing? If Trump intended all that to come then he’s certainly wasted his time. The Trump Youth? Media censorship? Closing down unions and social orgs and replacing them

with Trump orgs or Trumpifying those permitted to remain? Is there an economic drive towards autarky? That’s specific I know but it’s crucial to some understandings of Fascism. Does Trump love war and glorify his war dead? No, he insults them and a major part of his programme

appears (as Evans pointed out) to be rather isolationist - removing the USA from foreign wars. There is no cult of the fallen. Perhaps one may emerge now after the Capitol (unlikely considering Trump’s attitude to war dead) but even so the lack of cult of fallen up to this point

reflects the lack of ‘Trump fallen’, those killed fighting in the streets for Trump’s politics which again reflects the lack of centrally directed or endorsed organised politically violent groups/movement. For a supposed Fascist leader with four years in power that’s remarkable.

Again, things might develop. I have much sympathy for those who call Trump Fascist as he does share much in common with the latter. But, as Evans and other scholars have pointed out, not enough yet, and if he has been aiming towards Fascism he’s been moving very slowly indeed.

Not all antidemocrats and dictators are clearly Fascists. This is why there is lots of debate in the historiography of Franco’s Spain about the extent to which that can be considered Fascist even despite its violence, autarky, camps and salutes.