Trump’s Repost of ‘Reich’ Falls in Line with Rhetorical Strategy, National News Reports

Former President Donald Trump sparked controversy this week with a 30-second video posted on his social media account that featured hypothetical newspaper headlines from a second Trump administration, including a reference to a “unified Reich.” The video was quickly removed, but not before drawing comparisons to the Third Reich and Nazi Germany.

Critics pointed out that the headlines in the video actually corresponded to World War I, with the term “Reich” referencing the pre-World War II unification of Germany. This incident is just the latest example of Trump or his supporters using rhetoric that evokes Hitler and the Nazis, whether on social media or at campaign rallies.

Experts on political rhetoric, like Jennifer Mercieca from Texas A&M University, note that echoing Hitler is a new and uniquely Trump phenomenon. Mercieca, author of “Demagogue for President: The Rhetorical Genius of Donald Trump,” explains that Trump’s use of language allows white supremacists to feel validated while also giving non-white supremacists a way to deny his ties to white supremacy.

The use of language nodding to Nazi Germany in Trump’s campaign messaging is seen as a way to appeal to white male voters who are concerned about immigration and the economy. However, experts like David Frank from the University of Oregon argue that understanding the economic roots of this rhetoric could help diminish its effectiveness.

Overall, the video incident highlights the ongoing debate about the use of inflammatory language in politics and its impact on public discourse and voter behavior.