As I mentioned yesterday the New York Times has a thumb-sucker about the rise of the European far-right, which would greatly mislead anyone not up with the facts.
In my previous newsletter, I criticised the piece. for overstating the success of the European far right. But the really appalling thing about the article is the sanewashing of the Trump administration and the US voting public.
The article contains a passing mention of rhetorical claims made by Vance, Rubio and Trump along lines similar to those of the European far right. But no one reading it would realise that the Trump administration has implemented policies more extreme than those of even the AfD, the furthest right of the European parties discussed, and has done so with the near-unanimous support of US Republicans,
The stated AfD policy on remigration proposes. (translation and summary from ChatGPT, checked with Google Translate)
Deport people subject to enforceable departure orders.
Withdraw refugee protection when the original grounds are considered to have ended, specifically identifying Syria.
Negotiate with countries of origin to facilitate returns
Prioritise deportation of foreign nationals classified as security threats, extremists or serious criminals
Make deportation easier for foreigners convicted of violent, drug-related or sexual offences
Expand financial incentives for voluntary return.
The programme envisages changing existing laws while remaining within constitutional requirements. it states “We firmly reject unconstitutional demands—such as the arbitrary, collective deportation of foreigners regardless of their individual right of residence, or even the deportation of German citizens with a migration background.”
The AFD policy certainly appeals to anti-immigrant sentiment. But the Trump administration has gone far beyond this, detaining and deporting people who have committed no crime, and have sought to pursue residency through legal processes. And it has repeatedly trashed constitutional protections of all kinds, with heavily armed secret police snatching people off the streets and disappearing them into concentration camps.
Source: New York Times, balanced reportingnormalising these outrages.
This is not just a MAGA policy. Every single Republican member of Congress, with the exception of Lisa Murkowski, voted to support this regime of terror [1] And what’s true of politicians is true of Unlike European far-right parties, which rarely get more than 20 per cent support, Trump and the Republicans got nearly 50 per cent of the votes in the 2024 election. And while they are likely to lose ground in the next election, that’s not because of repugnance against these crimes. Immigration is the issue on which Trump’s support is highest, at around 40 per cent. That includes 80 per cent of Republicans. A
These aren’t (only) the left-behind denizens of midwestern diners. 40 per cent of white Americans with four-year degrees share this approval (given the gender gap, white college-educated men would be close to 50)
In summary, the NY Times would get much more insight into the roots of rightwing extremism if its reporters took the Long Island Rail Road to Suffolk county [2[ went to an upscale bar or restaurant and chatted to the patrons there. But it’s far more comforting to read about foreigners nostalgic for Mussolini and Hitler than to consider the likelihood that your next-door neighbour shares their views.
fn1. (As usual, Susan Collins got a hall pass to support a failed amendment, before falling into line on the final vote).
fn2 (2nd richest in New York with median household income $130k and a 54 per cent vite Trump)
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It seems only last week that the American punditocracy insisted (occasionally in hope, usually in dread) that Vox, Chaga, Golden Dawn, and Jobbik would 'inevitably' sweep all before them, in terms of Spanish, Portuguese, Greek, and Hungarian electoral prospects.
The punditocracy would have done well to recollect A.J.P. Taylor's wise words 'Nothing is inevitable until it happens.'
In 2026, Meloni is now censuring Trump with a public zest that Albanese refuses even to attempt; the main figures in France's RN have soft-pedalled (if not actually abandoned) their erstwhile defences of Brexit; and for all Merz's problems in the face of AfD, no obvious rival for the chancellorship is breathing down his neck.
I've thought for years that the politicians whom Trumpism fears most are genuine conservatives.
Re the 'article is the sanewashing of the Trump administration', speaking of sane washing has anyone else noticed the Australian press's coverage of Trump’s total support for unfettered AI never mentions that he and his family are heavily, personally financially invested in AI as they are with crypto.