So where does that put us? Going by the criteria set by Eco and Paxton, there are some indications that Trump could be a fascist and the leader of a fascist movement, though not the kind of organized fascist movements seen in the past. That is alarming, there’s no question. But there is no reliable evidence that he will act like a fascist or employ violence to change the system. It’s more likely that he will rage within the machine.

Of course, anyone who considers Donald Trump to be a fascist could correctly argue that Hitler and Mussolini didn’t show their true faces until they began governing. Still, prior to their election they never hid their disdain for democracy or pretended they would shy away from the use of force.

But as abhorrent as Trump’s election campaign was, calling him a fascist at this early stage also implies that his voters stooped to the level of fascism. Half of America. Basically, it means lumping half of Americans into the same camp as Hitler and Mussolini. In Germany, especially, people should consider very carefully before making such comparisons.

The priority must now be that of guiding Trump supporters and those of right-wing populism, wherever they are, away from their leaders and parties. That can only happen through dialogue. It cannot begin with the worst of all political defamations.