Should You Wish a Fascist Well?
Don’t ask me to pray for Trump’s health
When news broke that Donald Trump was infected with Covid-19, a schism among his detractors appeared on social media almost immediately. On one side, people wished him a speedy recovery, sometimes begrudgingly, while declaring they were going to “vote him out” in November. On the other side, there was no empathy: Some expressed indifference at the president’s illness, and some outright cheered for Comrade Corona. It was, as someone on my Twitter timeline pointed out, the exact opposite of a prayer circle. A debate began to rage over the question: Should you wish a fascist well?
Norms — that’s what this argument is really about. Should the norm of wishing an ill person a full recovery extend to a fascist? Is applying these norms to everyone — as Michelle Obama would say, “going high” — morally superior and better for society? This isn’t merely a moral or philosophical difference. This is also about real-world consequences. That’s why one side’s emphasis on voting as a solution — and, by extension, their belief that norms will hold under fascism — is so important.
Anyone who genuinely believes the Trump regime is a fascist project understands voting alone won’t stop it. Americans should vote Trump out in a landslide. The record of a clear electoral defeat is necessary, but history demonstrates that, by itself, a clear mandate from voters likely won’t be enough to clear fascists out of power. This is why it’s a mistake to wish Trump well, while relying on norms governing the transfer of power to defeat him.
Trump and Republicans showed hubris in the face of a force of nature that cannot be gaslit, bullied, or emotionally manipulated.
The smug “get well so we can vote you out” sentiments miss the bleak reality that Trump is accruing power so he may never have to leave office, no matter the election outcome. Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death cleared a path for Republicans to create a Supreme Court majority that would very likely rubber-stamp a contested election in Trump’s favor. Right up until the positive Covid-19 tests started coming thick and fast, Amy Coney Barrett’s appointment to the Supreme Court seemed unstoppable. But…
