The Antifa Candidate
by James Silberman
Leftists cynically and dishonestly wielding the epithet “fascist” against Republicans has become a feature of modern American politics. Every Republican Presidential nominee since Gerald Ford has faced a version of this accusation. Kamala Harris repeatedly called President Trump a fascist during the 2024 election cycle.
But its use is not merely electoral. This particular slander serves another purpose crucial to the Left’s plan: justifying violence and legal persecution against conservatives. “Hey, Fascist! Catch!” was engraved on the bullet that took Charlie Kirk from this world. As was said by many following the Kirk assassination, "They don't kill us because they think we're fascists; they call us fascists so they can justify killing us." The 2023 indictments of President Trump and his staff were similarly justified by claiming the defendants deserved jail because of their “fascism.”
At a Tuesday forum, Oklahoma gubernatorial candidate Gentner Drummond proclaimed that political parties “want the most extreme candidate to be their banner-waver,” and that the “extreme” candidates favored by the GOP are “fascists.”
In the following words, I may seem indignant at Drummond’s use of the phrase. That is because I am indignant. You should be too. Drummond’s reckless accusation plays into a radical, far-left narrative about American conservatives that often puts us in physical danger.
