Many critics, who almost invariably do not work in the fields of historical study or education, will reflexively scoff at the idea that the Trump regime is attempting to erase, or re-write history in a way that supports a Christian Nationalist worldview as the official truth and indeed the only valid, legal way to speak about history; often while admitting that Trump is functionally illiterate and certainly doesn't read much history. Of course that argument is irrelevant because he's surrounded by a whole bunch of white nationalist freaks who certainly do read and care about history, in so much as it furthers their project to transform America into a permanent fascist dictatorship and white ethnostate; Stephen Miller, who is clearly functioning as the regime's Goebbels, has certainly read a history book or two. Even setting that obvious reality aside however, sometimes Trump's executive orders just come right out and admit this is the plan. Take for example Der Führer's recent order to put noted white nationalist (and Vice President) JD Vance in charge of scrubbing the Smithsonian museum (and zoo) complex of "improper ideology."

https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-smithsonian-executive-order

'Unabashed Fascism': Trump Executive Order Targets 'Improper Ideology' at Smithsonian

"U.S. President Donald Trump has elicited a fresh wave of anger after he signed an executive order on Thursday targeting exhibits or programs critical of the United States at the Smithsonian Institution, a sprawling network of largely free museums and Washington, D.C.'s National Zoo.

The order aims to prevent federal money from going to displays that "divide Americans based on race" or "promote programs or ideologies inconsistent with federal law and policy," as well as remove "improper ideology" from Smithsonian's museums, education centers, and research centers.

"This is unabashed fascism," wrote the journalist Lauren Wolfe on X on Thursday. Amy Rutenberg, a history professor at Iowa State University, wrote: "Last week, while visiting several Smithsonian museums, I kept wondering how long it would take for this administration to direct exhibits to be pulled. Not long, it turns out."

Look, if you think I'm being uncharitable about the purpose of this executive order, you can simply read the order yourself (here: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/restoring-truth-and-sanity-to-american-history/) because Downmarket Mussolini makes it very clear this is about erasing the history of slavery, structural racism, the existence of trans women, and anything that makes white people uncomfortable about the history of a white supremacist country built on chattel slavery and genocide. Trump even pinned the tail on the donkey by instructing the interior secretary to reinstall statues and monuments removed or changed since January 1st, 2020; and if your memory is failing you, that date is clearly about undoing projects to remove monuments to racists and Confederate slavers, in response to the efforts of the Black Lives Matter movement and the George Floyd protests.

Anyone arguing this is about preserving history from ideology (a phrase that makes zero sense because history is affected by the ideologies governing human behavior at the time it happens; obviously) somehow, is literally pushing fascist propaganda; this is about establishing an official narrative in support of a white nationalist permanent social and political order, and slowly eliminating any source of facts that might argue with that narrative. This is ideological policing, and history has shown us that these efforts to rewrite the past and eliminate dissenting narratives typically end in, literal, mass graves.

@ErikJonker

#Trump’s Truth Social Post: 04/04/25
‘Only the weak will fail”
[without his caps…because while we need to evidence his #fascism, we don’t need to bellow it]

Yes, the road has been travelled, the US is now at its fascist destination.

Sometimes, a relatively simple story will encompass multiple arguments I've been making about the intentions and actions of the fascist Trumpenreich regime all at once. For example, this piece about a federal judge ruling that the Trump administration violated his court order, in order to punish Democrat states by withholding FEMA funding as part of official regime policy to target Sanctuary Cities for reprisal, is pretty much an encapsulation of why the Trump regime is unquestionably a fascist entity, enacting a fascist agenda.

https://archive.ph/JHyjO

Federal judge reveals 'undisputed evidence' Trump is deliberately sabotaging blue states

"A federal judge ruled today that the Trump administration, including U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, violated his court order to unfreeze Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) relief to at least 19 states. The judge says the administration appears to be making a “covert” effort to punish states who oppose Trump’s oppressive immigration practices.

The New Republic reports U.S. District Judge John McConnell issued an injunction in March on behalf of 23 states suing the White House after the administration moved to pause FEMA aid to states. The Obama era judge ruled the hold-up “fundamentally undermines the distinct constitutional roles of each branch of our government.”

The federal reluctance applies only to states with Democratic attorneys general, and McConnell found the Trump administration ignored his March court order, with at least 19 states submitting “undisputed evidence” they were not receiving FEMA funds appropriated by Congress. Hawaii reported that FEMA had yet to respond to its $6 million request and subsequent $500k reimbursement for climate-related wildfires. The state of Oregon, meanwhile, reported that FEMA had yet to respond to a request for $129.4 million in federal funds for wildfires, severe winter storms, flooding, and mudslides."

Let me just make sure you understand what you're reading here. These nazi chucklefucks are ignoring the law and direct judicial orders, to illegally target their perceived political enemies, for not complying with their ethno-nationalist targeting of migrants, under the guise of a made up invasion that purportedly gives the president extraordinary dictatorial powers, in precisely the same way they falsely accused the Biden administration of politicizing FEMA aid last hurricane season, before Trump was elected. No, really; that's what a judge just ruled is definitely happening. This is the kinda shit that would make Goebbels himself blush.

As I mentioned in the post above, the Trump regime's war on the existence of trans people is clearly important enough to them ideologically and politically, to enact a series of punishments on the entire state of Maine, to cow their governor Janet Mills into submission. That's not just my interpretation as a trans woman, we literally just caught the acting Social Security Administration Commissioner admitting as much in writing:

https://www.commondreams.org/news/leland-dudek-resign

"The top Democrat on the U.S. House Oversight Committee on Wednesday led calls for the resignation of acting Social Security Administration Commissioner Leland Dudek following the revelation of internal emails confirming that the SSA canceled contracts with the state of Maine as political payback after Democratic Gov. Janet Mills publicly defied President Donald Trump in support of transgender student athletes.

The emails—which were obtained by House Oversight Committee Ranking Member Gerry Connolly (D-Va.)—show that Dudek ordered the cancellation of enumeration at birth and electronic death registration contracts with Maine, even though SSAd subordinates warned that such action "would result in improper payments and potential for identity theft."

Dudek—who is leading the SSA while the Senate considers Trump's nomination of financial services executive Frank Bisignano—replied to the staffer: "Please cancel the contracts. While our improper payments will go up, and fraudsters may compromise identities, no money will go from the public trust to a petulant child."

He was referring to Mills, who stood up to Trump in February after the president threatened to suspend federal funding for Maine unless the state banned transgender girls and women from participating on female scholastic sports teams."

I mean good on Connolly to call for Dudek's resignation, but are centrist party strategists even paying attention to what's going on here? I can't stress how degrading it is to keep having to remind powerful cis people who were happy to promote supporting trans rights as a brand eight years ago, that the fascist Trump regime's anti-trans pogrom is going to affect everyone who isn't a fascist negatively, not just trans people. But also, that's exactly what's happening, and even as we speak these same people point to opinion polling as an excuse for leaving trans people and their civil rights to the tender mercies of guys like Stephen fucking Miller.

So, is the fascist's ongoing anti-trans pogrom still a "culture war distraction" when it's affecting education funding for the State of Maine - because their Governor won't ban trans women from school sports in deference to the Trump regime's stated quest to erase trans people from public life?

https://truthout.org/articles/usda-suspends-maine-education-funds-over-states-support-for-trans-athletes/

USDA Suspends Maine Education Funds Over State’s Support for Trans Athletes

"The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced Wednesday that it is suspending federal funding for select education programs in Maine, citing the state’s refusal to comply with President Donald Trump’s anti-trans directive to exclude transgender students from girls’ and women’s sports.

In a letter to Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D), Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the funding freeze would affect “certain administrative and technological functions in schools,” and warned that “[t]his is only the beginning.”

Rollins also noted that the USDA is reviewing Maine’s research and education-related funding to assess compliance with the U.S. Constitution, federal law, and the Trump administration’s anti-trans policy agenda. She specifically invoked Title IX — which the White House has weaponized against trans people — and Title VI, which the administration has distorted to go after diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts."

You might be tempted to scoff at this story because Department of Agriculture funding is a narrow application of force by the regime, to try and dictate Maine's compliance with Trump's executive order, but as the article notes this is part of a much larger attack on Maine's education funding to force the state's compliance with the regime's persecution of trans people via an executive order that is being challenged in court still. I have no idea if we even have laws or constitutional rights in this country anymore, but if SCOTUS doesn't want to play Calvinball, Trump's order is almost certainly unconstitutional and shouldn't survive legal challenges. Given the existence of a 6-3 fascist high SCOTUS that is quite happy to make up the law as it goes to support the Trump regime's agenda however, you'll forgive me if I don't have a lot of confidence in the courts to save trans folks, particularly trans women like me.

Speaking more broadly, I'm sharing this article to point out how shortsighted and utterly ineffective the liberal establishment's plan to stop talking about trans rights is, even in the face of an anti-trans pogrom, because they think doing so will win them elections that might not even happen or be fair at all. The fact is the anti-trans pogrom is a foundational plank in the Trump regime's larger fascist agenda; it doesn't matter if bougie lib politicians want to talk about it, they're going to make you folks either help them eliminate trans people, or talk about why the rights of trans people are human rights and must be protected. You don't get to opt out, they're pushing this agenda whether you want to talk about it or not.