On September 9, 2026, President Donald John Trump offered the American public yet another bribe. He promised that the federal government would pay each adult $5,000 if Republicans were elected to majorities in the U.S. House and Senate. This is on top of the $5,000 DOGE payout and the $2,000 tariff payout he promised in 2025 — which were never paid. Of course, the $1.35 trillion cost of his current bribe would technically have to be approved by Congress, although it isn’t clear Congress even has any power any more under the MAGA regime.
I heard this latest news just after I had written the following commentary on a book I recently read — “It Can’t Happen Here,” written by Sinclair Lewis in 1935. This book about a fascist takeover in America had so many parallels to the rise of Trumpism it was disturbing. Even in the detail that in the book the fascist candidate for president promises a $5,000 payout to every American: “We shall have such a balance of trade as will go far to carry out my often-criticized yet completely sound idea of $5000 preyer for every single family — that is, I mean every real American Family.”
Reading it, I couldn’t help but think that Stephen Miller, Trump’s most fascist henchman and whisperer, must be using the novel as a playbook.
Somewhere in my academic career I had read Lewis’s acclaimed books about the 1920s: Main Street, Babbitt, and Arrowsmith. I don’t think I read Elmer Gantry or Dodsworth, but all were “bestsellers that served to hold a mirror up to the parochialism and provincialism of that decade,” as the introduction to the book noted. Lewis watched, as did others, the rise of demagogues like Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini in Europe. In America Father Coughlin propagandized from a Detroit radio station and Gov. Huey Long became a miniature Trump ruling Louisiana like a king. Lewis saw that the economic turmoil of the Depression could provide a rich soil to produce a poisonous tyrant in America, despite the belief that it couldn’t happen in a democracy like ours. Contemporary commentator Thom Hartman explains this pattern of countries who lose faith in the current system, often in times of economic despair, swinging to a populist extreme of either the right or left wing.
At this point in 2026, after 10 years of Trumpism, most free-thinking, liberal Americans have been exposed to numerous writers, such as Timothy Snyder, Anne Applebaum and Ruth Ben-Ghiat, who have explained both the human psychology and historical parallels that cause well-worn pathways that countries follow toward tyranny.
Reading “It Can’t Happen Here” confirmed that so much of human behavior is very predictable. When frustrated, demeaned and held down economically or politically, humans can become angry and desperate. They can be eager to grab onto simplistic solutions and can lash out at those who are scapegoated by their cult leaders as the cause of their problems. Many Americans have an entrenched bigotry that is easily given permission by racist and misogynistic politicians like Trump.
Summary of “It Can’t Happen Here”
“It Can’t Happen Here” takes place over three years as a folksy New England politician named Berzelius “Buzz” Windrip cons his way into power by taking advantage of desperate Americans eager for economic relief in 1936. He uses patriotic themes just like Trump and drapes everything possible in red, white and blue lingo to mask his fascism. Windrip engages in clownish swindlerism and bamboozles a wide swath of America into voting for him.
The protagonist is liberal newspaper publisher Doremus Jessup who speaks out against Windup’s fascism in his editorials, but also adopts a passive and individualistic approach to protest. After trying to escape to Canada (just as many today consider becoming ex-pats), Jessup is slowly moved to action. His son-in-law is executed, his newspaper is taken over by the government, and slowly Jessup starts to form a band of underground revolutionaries. They gather information on government activities and publish a newspaper at great risk, with predictable suspenseful plot lines of having to smuggle printing presses to new hiding spots and worrying who is informing on them. He is later kidnapped by Windrip’s militia and after a sham trial sentenced to a concentration camp and nearly beaten to death.
After Windrip’s election, the U.S. falls from a democracy to an extreme totalitarian state in about 18 months.
The parallels between “It Can’t Happen Here” and Trump are many and specific:
— Windrip was a charlatan, but charismatic and dramatic, playing the common man with a clownishness that endeared him to constituents. “But he was the Common Man twenty-times-magnified by his oratory, so that while the other Commoners could understand his every purpose, which was exactly the same as their own, they saw him towering among them, and they raised hands to him in worship.” p. 72. This could be describing Trump at any rally. Windrip promotes a glorified version of America’s history, just like Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan. Jessup’s description of Windrip could be that of Trump: He “could not explain [Windrip’s] power of bewitching large audiences. The Senator was vulgar, almost illiterate, a public liar easily detected, and in his ‘ideas’ almost idiotic, while his celebrated piety was that of a traveling salesman for church furniture, and his yet more celebrated humor the sly cynicism of a country store. Certainly there was nothing exhilarating in the actual words of his speeches, nor anything convincing in his philosophy. His political platforms were only wings of a windmill.” p. 71
— Once elected, Windrip immediately begins ignoring and overstepping laws. The list of broken laws with Trump is long, including of course his inciting an insurrection in January 2021, his literal felony convictions and endless violations of governmental ethics laws. Trump tore down the iconic East Wing of the White House and continues to build his bunker/ballroom despite court orders to stop. He is moving ahead with his Trump Arch without any prior approvals or budget.
– Windrip used terror and suppression of civil rights to paralyze normal citizens into inaction. Even as a senator, Windrip creates a loyal and brutal paramilitary force called “Minute Men” who consider him their general. When Windrip is charged with graft the militia “rose to Buzz Windup’s orders as though they were his private army and, occupying the legislative chambers and all the state offices, and covering the streets leading to the Capitol with machine guns, they herded Buzz’s enemies out of town.” (p. 27) Sounds just a bit like January 6! The “MM’s” were given free reign to shoot, beat and kidnap citizens in extra-judicial vigilante actions. Many have compared Trump’s ICE to Nazi Gestapo troops who shot innocent people.
— Windrip has a Stephen Miller-type sidekick, Lee Sarason, who was Windrip’s secretary, bodyguard, ghost-writer, press-agent, and economic advisor. During Windup’s reign, Sarason is named Secretary of State and becomes the real seat of power while Windrip is merely the megaphone, something that many fear about the Trump/Miller regime. As Trump’s dementia and delusion worsens, many pundits are fearful that Miller, Natalie Harp, and others in his inner circle are managing the news Trump receives and making decisions.
— Windrip has a book ghost-written that is “the Bible of his followers, part biography, part economic program, and part plain exhibitionistic boasting” p. 29. “Art of the Deal” might be described exactly that way.
— Windrip advocates for greater presidential power to move quickly in an emergency because Congress debates fruitlessly and endlessly. He calls for overturning the constitution and giving Congress only advisory power and the President complete power to govern — yet the American people vote him in! Today’s Republican Party has long advocated for the “unitary executive” principle that consolidates power in the president and weakens Congress. Trump, of course, has spent both terms issuing executive orders, ignoring the law and courts and ethics, using his SCOTUS immunity to the max, and claiming that the only thing stopping him is “my own mind.” His Republican enablers in Congress do nothing to stop him and rarely even come into session any more.
— To get elected Windrip proclaimed a policy to give everyone $5,000 a year, (a pledge which he never fulfills) but also promised the wealthy they could keep their riches. He blasted “the elites” as 24-carat college graduates and harkened back to his supposed plain, boot-strap upbringing. Despite his campaigning on good for the common man, Windrip took payola from corporations and quickly renames his partisans the “Corporatists” or “Corpos.” And isn’t Trump really just a shill for Big Tech, Big Oil, Big Crypto, Big Pharma, Wall Street, and every other billionaire business … Corpos?
— Windrip’s followers were called the “League of Forgotten Men.” Haven’t Trump’s hardcore believers frequently been identified as those left behind economically and politically, even though many of his voters are well-off and even rich?
— Windrip’s opponent in the presidential election was a man who “suffered from the deficiency of being honest and disinclined to promise that he would work miracles, was insisting that we live in the United States of America and not on a golden highway to Utopia.” This could describe Pres. Joe Biden and any number of modest, humble Democratic candidates who are disinclined to engage in the cult of personality as does Trump.
— Just as today when Trump plays as if he’s for the common man but actually sides with the billionaires, Windrip and his band were against Fascists, Communists, Socialists, Unionists, Bolsheviks, and “Red Radicals” of all types.
— Windrip’s policies included nationalization of all banking and finances, mines, oilfields, water and utilities, transportation and communication. The national government would also run the unions. Trump’s government has taken over or purchased shares in dozens of companies.
— Windup’s policies were immensely contradictory — claiming both the right to freedom of religion but also that atheists, agnostics and Jews must swear belief in the Bible. Windrip was a blatant racist (definitely Trump!) and banned “Negroes” from voting, working in most jobs, attending school or making more than $10,000 a year. Windrip knew that having someone to look down upon feels powerful to a downtrodden person. The GOP constantly uses dog whistle attacks on Muslims and blacks, yet claims to be righteous Christians who live Biblically pure lives. Trump has for decades exhibited racist behaviors and beliefs.
— Windrip advocated for ending international trade and keeping all dollars at home. Trump very idiotically believes that any exchange of dollars for goods is a loss of money, not realizing that, yes, you paid money, but you gained a good that you can use and value. Trump has instituted random tariffs and rails against any international trade as bad for America. He is even in a trade war with Canada!
— Windrip is a mysoginist — the parallels to Trump are uncanny — and orders all women to quit their jobs and be homemakers and mothers. The “trad wife” movement is back again today!
— Windrip was addicted to his telephone and politicked endlessly on it. Trump has always been a phone gabber and now is addicted to his social media posting.
— In the election in the book, numerous third parties steal votes from the mainstream candidate, giving Windrip the win. Hello, Jill Stein!
— Very quickly after the election, the town’s thugs are promoted to MMs and begin extorting money like a mob family, taking over businesses and houses, and beating up protesters. Many have called Trump a mob boss of a crime family, especially given his latest use of extortion in charging money for pardons, giving government contracts to his adult children, and promoting his family and cronies to jobs they are not qualified for.
— On inauguration day, Windrip immediately sets about issuing executive orders, just like Trump, and these recognized the Minute Men as his own band of thugs. He appoints all his yes-men to cabinet positions. When Congress rejects his demand to pass a law abolishing Congress and the Supreme Court, Windrip orders martial law. This is something many have feared Trump will do if the November election does not go his way. Windrip arrests journalists, machine-guns protesters, executes all “criminals” even those vaguely suspected of crimes. He shuts down universities and imprisons intellectuals; he then establishes colleges “free from any taint of intellectualism.” Books were banned and burned. All of these things have happened to a lesser degree under Republican control. But who knows what comes next?
— Windrip arrests members of Congress and orders the MM’s to “stand fast” and come to his aid. Did Trump get his “stand back and stand by” statement to the Proud Boys from this book?
— Windrip begins to make plans to invade Mexico and even talks of taking over Greenland ad Canada — now that’s a very specific parallel!
Clearly, the fictional events occur far faster than our current experience with fascism over the past 10 years. However, if we consider only Trump’s second term, the timeline is a bit closer — we now have ICE brutally killing citizens, kidnapping people into concentration camps, and operating above the law.
Things start getting very violent in the Windrip regime, with cabinet members assassinated and kidnapped. Then Sarason and two other cabinet members attempt to kill Windrip, but decide instead to exile him to France, which was fine with him because he had grifted millions of dollars and could live at ease. Sarason becomes president, but is murdered by a cabinet member who then ramps up the totalitarian attacks. He increases the use of murder — of pastors and other pacifists — to quell revolutions throughout the country.
After months of imprisonment, Jessup escapes and connects with the underground revolutionaries. The book ends with him traveling as an operative for the opposition bolstered by his own brand of resolute hope, but not much more.
There is no happy ending in the book. Many are now stating that Trump’s destruction — even if checked after Nov. 3 — will continue for many years.
“It Can’t Happen Here” may not be a book for everyone, given it’s dark content and despairing tone. Other criticisms have been that it was written in just a few months and shows it, with predictable plotting and limited character development. As with any Lewis book it is loaded with that era’s slang and jargon and has confusing references to 1930s people and cultural touchpoints that many will not know.
The book does shows us that human nature does not essentially change. Some individuals are evil and Machiavellian. Many people are easily led, especially under the right conditions. Cruelty is in our human nature and we must fight hard to keep it in check — something democracy is supposed to do, but is currently failing at.
One positive takeaway is the differences in communication and media that may see us. In the 1930s era novel they had very limited access to news and information once the regime shut down the free press. This meant that the underground resistance had to spend time and take risks just to gather and pass on news and to organize. Today we have the internet where news (of various qualities) is readily available, at least for now, and organizing is very easy. The internet certainly makes spreading propaganda easier, but also makes sharing resistance messages easier too.
Finally, I found it interesting that Jessup is a Universalist — that religion of tolerance, justice and compassion that is now known as Unitarian-Universalism and is my choice of church.