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In the first three parts of this series, we examined how many types of MAGA supporters have Nazi equivalents, explained the parallels between the march toward authoritarianism of 1930s Germany and the present-day US, opined how the worst administration figures seem likely to commit major atrocities if they could get away with it, and pointed out how it’s a good thing that Donald Trump has very little in common with Adolf Hitler.

In this final installment, we’re going to take a look at how it all might end.

There aren’t all that many plausible scenarios. 

One is that Trump keeps consolidating power to a degree that makes the 2026 election more or less meaningless. It seems so far-fetched that something like this could happen in the United States but that is where things are headed. 

In other words, while the US is rapidly being transformed into a competitive authoritarian state — i.e., a system in which elections still exist but the ruling party gives itself an edge — if things continue at this pace, we may be looking at a full autocracy by the end of next year. 

To be clear, we do not believe that this is the most likely outcome, which may be a sign that we have more trust in the American people (and the country’s institutions) than they deserve.

Instead, we think that the Trump administration will screw things up so royally that voters will deliver a crushing verdict during next year’s midterm elections that will make some Republicans discover their spines and use those to turn their backs on the president. 

Again, that may be naïve in light of what has happened to the GOP over the past decade, but we believe there is a decent chance that things will get so bad over the coming months that Trump’s support will crater.

And we’re not just talking about economic issues like a recession, higher prices, more unemployment, the loss of health insurance, etc. Those alone would be enough to lose the GOP the election. 

However, what may really sway public opinion are all of the cruel and un-American things the administration is doing. 

At some point, the people are just not going to stand by as masked thugs keep handcuffing children or deporting kids with cancer, as Trump continues to enrich himself and his businesses in the most blatant ways, as he keeps creating chaos, and as government services disappear. 

It is unfortunate that so many will have to suffer before enough people wake up, but that is just where we are, and rooting for Trump’s vision of America to fail is actually the patriotic thing to do. 

In any case, for the sake of this editorial, let’s assume that the president and his MAGA Republicans suffer a crushing defeat in 2026 and again in 2028 as Americans reject his bid to turn their country into an authoritarian state.

Then what? 

Here, too, it is worth examining what happened in Germany. 

In the previous three parts of the series, the country served as an example of what not to do. However, once the Nazis were defeated, Germany became a model for how to overcome a radical ideology and a brainwashed populace.

Within a few years, the country had been transformed into a thriving democracy and a productive citizen of the global community. 

There were a couple of reasons why Germany was able to make this transition: One was the massive denazification effort that the allies pursued immediately after the war to make brainwashed Germans realize that they had backed a regime that committed some of the worst crimes against humanity in history. 

Obviously, that did not eliminate Nazi ideology altogether in the general population. It stands to reason that there were still millions of people who believed the propaganda they had been subjected to for more than a decade. However, those views were now considered to be abhorrent, and laws were put in place to prevent the glorification of Nazis in public.

Conversely, the vast majority of Germans learned the truth — via the worldwide press, both print and television — about what had happened and were horrified by what their country had done (and ashamed of their complicity).

Perhaps almost as importantly, the leaders of the Third Reich and the architects of its many atrocities were held to account in public trials that were not just about punishment but also documenting the crimes that they committed.

Now, there is no way that there will ever be some kind of coordinated effort to “deprogram” members of the MAGA cult. 

First, in the case of Germany, there was an occupying force that could impose new rules on the country following the war. 

In addition, the US Constitution forbids some of the restrictions on free speech that prevent far-right Germans from spreading Nazi ideology. It would plainly also be un-American to do so, and it’s important that the response to Trump’s many un-American and unconstitutional actions is not more of the same.

Finally, while there may be a political reckoning that makes GOP lawmakers move toward the center, there is no reason to believe that the right-wing propaganda machine will slow down. 

In other words, you can uncover as much information as you want about the crimes Trump and others in his administration are committing, but that won’t change the minds of people who either don’t learn about them, get a sanitized version, or are fed conspiracy theories that turn perpetrators into victims. 

We know this, of course, because that is precisely what happened over the past four years. 

Even after staging a coup and sparking a deadly insurrection, there was no accountability for Trump in 2020, which is why he was allowed to reemerge and bring the country so far down the path to authoritarianism.

And it’s not as though Democrats and some courageous Republicans didn’t try. 

There was a thorough and bipartisan investigation to look into the crimes of January 6 as well as Trump’s culpability.

However, unlike in the 1970s when the revelations of Richard Nixon’s various crimes, such as abuse of power and obstruction of justice, caused Republicans to turn on him, today’s GOP lawmakers are either so beholden to or afraid of Trump that they have stayed quiet. 

To be fair, at the height of the Watergate scandal, it helped that there wasn’t a Fox News explaining to conservatives that this was all a partisan witch hunt. 

To get real accountability for once, Republicans have to turn their backs on Trump… and that will only happen if they no longer fear for their political careers (or the wellbeing of their loved ones). 

And that will only happen if the president becomes a political liability and/or his administration does things that are so unpopular that the GOP is crushed in an election, leading  even some of his Republican enablers to turn on him.

All of that might seem inconceivable right now, seeing how much of a stranglehold Trump has on the party, but we don’t think it is just wishful thinking (although we are admittedly susceptible to that, given how grim the prospects otherwise appear). 

We believe that there is an opportunity in the lawlessness, the chaos, and the incompetence of this administration. 

Just as there was an opportunity that Germany seized after its darkest hour. And just as there was an opportunity for pro-democracy reforms after Watergate, when Democrats and Republicans came together to pass campaign finance, ethics, and transparency laws (many of which have been reversed or watered down since then). 

So, maybe, if things go as badly as we think they might, and if Americans themselves reject Trump’s brand of authoritarianism, we can find the will to shore up democracy once more. 

And this time, unlike 2020, real accountability has to be a part of that. 

The president and all of those around him who are violating the Constitution, defying courts, and breaking the law must face real consequences.

Less than six months into Trump’s second term, so many illegal and unethical things are happening that, once all of the evidence is uncovered, somebody has to end up in prison. (If you doubt such an outcome is possible, just do a search on how many of Nixon’s Cabinet members and closest aides were incarcerated.) 

And if post-Trump investigators find that incriminating evidence has been destroyed, then somebody should go to prison for that as well. 

Republicans claim they support law and order because they believe that punishment works as a deterrent. Well, let’s do that then. Let’s show politicians that their actions in office have consequences: If they act illegally and not in the interest of the American people, they are the ones who face prison terms.

At the same time, it is important that this reckoning doesn’t turn into a quest for revenge. We are seeing where the lust for “retribution” leads right now.

Now, you might say: “Well, all of this seems terribly uncertain and, even if possible, very far away.”

That’s an understandable response. However, if the country had been better prepared to respond to Trump’s lawlessness after his first term in office, and especially his failed coup, we wouldn’t be in this mess right now.

So let’s hope that, just as happened in Germany in 1945 and after, the downfall of an authoritarian leader can be turned into something positive. 

Part 1 of “MAGA and the Third Reich”

Part 2 of “MAGA and the Third Reich”

Part 3 of “MAGA and the Third Riech”