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The Great Depression, the Dust Bowl and the New Deal: it’s 1935 in the U.S. It’s a time of non-interventionism for the country amid spiraling tensions in Europe. An all-too popular phrase among the American public was “it can’t happen here.” The foreign, radical phenomenon known as fascism simply did not exist on the minds of average Americans.

The public became more aware of what we now know as totalitarianism with the publication of Sinclair Lewis’ 1935 novel “It Can’t Happen Here,” with its depictions of a power-hungry demagogue’s election as president. Ultimately, the ripples that this threat of totalitarianism created in the murky waters of politics have stretched all the way into the 21st century with the election of former President Donald Trump. 

The unprecedented seizure of the Capitol Building by white nationalists on Jan. 6 was egged on by a president seething with false claims of election fraud. Confusion, anger and that same sense of alienation that the public felt in 1935 now feels like common sentiments toward our federal government. We, as a country, find ourselves left behind in an American demagogue’s wake.

It begs the question: Where do we go from here? What exactly does “Trumpism” without Trump look like? 

In 2021, we are able to reflect on Trump’s administration and easily identify its defining characteristics: loyalty to the commander in chief, abandonment of norms and a lack of reliance upon a seasoned cabinet of advisors. Whether we approved of him, Trump’s actions affected all of us, and his precedents will stand the test of time. 

Despite Trump’s refusal to adhere to traditional Republican customs, he left an indelible mark on the party, said Margaret Thompson, an associate professor of history and political science at Syracuse University.

“He did try to uphold power. He managed to persuade a lot of people. He made it about loyalty, support and him. It’s about who is and isn’t of use,” Thompson said.

But somehow, this cold approach toward leading the American people continued to attract, rather than repel, voters. Despite his staunch refusal to acknowledge the death toll of the COVID-19 pandemic, 74 million Americans submitted their ballots in favor of him. 

But how will Trump, as a person and as the 45th president of the U.S., be viewed in the years to come? Will his cold-blooded command be admired or condemned? 

Trump will be remembered as an embodiment of the divisions and aimlessness that now characterize the GOP, Thompson said. 

“‘Trumpism,’ as it has come to be known, won’t be taught as an ideology. It’ll be taught as a warning. Our system is not as robust as we have often been led to believe. We came dangerously close to the kind of political unrest that was previously unthinkable in the United States,” Thompson said. This unrest Thompson speaks of was most disturbingly demonstrated in the Capitol riots.

The concept of “Trumpism,” though signaling a changing conservative tide, is not an ideology at all, Thompson said.

“An ideology implies a coherence and rigor of thought, one that’s systematic in nature. There was no systematic way in how he ran his administration,” Thompson said. “Trump was not an example of traditional conservatism. His administration, quite simply, was hinged upon loyalty.” 

Loyalty. The concept feels paradoxical. Especially considering the insurrection of the Capitol, perhaps the greatest violation of government, was engineered by a man sworn to protect the sanctity of that very same building. 

But it is this coveted loyalty — however extremist as it has become — that will characterize our nation more definitively in the years to come. Ultimately, the Republican Party must decide if it’s the party of Trump or something else entirely. Debates like this will surely dominate the political sphere in future elections and interactions in Congress. 

In the absence of Trump, there will be a deeper examination of the precedents and standards that the U.S. adopted during his era: the bullying of other nations, failure to address climate change and insistence in the lack of greatness to be found in the U.S..

Even at the collegiate level, these discussions are essential to ensure our progress as a nation. The wreckage and questions left unanswered in Trump’s wake can serve as significant learning experiences. It is the pursuit of national progress that truly can prevent fallouts like those discussed in Lewis’ novel from unfolding. Because fundamentally, Trump demonstrated to us that, after all, it can happen here. 

Eleanor Chapman is a sophomore English and textual studies major. Her column appears biweekly. She can be reached at echapm02@syr.edu.

Published on March 15, 2021 at 10:42 pm