During World War II, the United States launched a powerful military recruiting and war bonds campaign titled “Don’t Let That Shadow Touch Them.” Featuring haunting images of children overshadowed by a looming swastika, it warned Americans of the grave threat fascism posed to the nation’s safety and future. Today, the picture is disturbingly different. MAGA is working to make fascism cool, joking about ICE’s brutal deportation tactics as washed-up celebrities like Dean Cain glorify the idea of snatching children and families off the streets of America.
It’s happening as the people who put their lives on the line for this country — veterans, federal workers, and service members — are punished, silenced, and stripped of their dignity. Meanwhile, the administration is using taxpayer dollars to polish, celebrate, and reinstall racist and authoritarian symbols.
This week alone has offered a chilling series of examples.
Contract law is a pillar of American democracy and is codified in the Constitution. But, Trump’s political appointees at the Department of Veterans Affairs terminated union contracts covering 400,000 employees — many of them veterans. These contracts didn’t just protect paychecks; they safeguarded patient safety in VA hospitals, ensuring that nurses, doctors, and professional staff could speak up when staffing levels put veterans at risk. Now, the people caring for our nation’s wounded warriors have fewer rights and less protection. And in case anyone missed the point, this comes after months of layoffs targeting thousands of veteran employees across the federal workforce.
Then came the Air Force’s move to purge transgender service members, even those within five years of earning a pension. Under Trump’s reinstated ban, service members with 15–18 years of service will be forced out with no retirement benefits — in some cases having already-approved retirements rescinded. Imagine serving your country for nearly two decades, only to be shown the door with nothing. It’s not just cruel; it’s un-American and possibly one of the worst things I’ve ever seen this country do to its veterans.
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While the administration tears down real heroes, it is putting racist relics back on pedestals — literally. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth this week announced the return of the Confederate “Reconciliation Monument” to Arlington National Cemetery. The monument, created in 1914 by a Confederate veteran, whitewashes the brutality of slavery and celebrates a rebellion that fought to keep human beings in chains. A bipartisan commission of military leaders recommended its removal in 2022, calling it “problematic from top to bottom.” Now, it will be restored for $10 million, part of a larger project to reinstall Confederate symbols and reverse military base names.
This is the state of things after Trump has been in office for barely half of a year. Imagine Trump’s America by the time his term is ending.
The playbook is painfully clear, and the Trump administration has been incredibly successful in executing it across the president’s first seven months in office. Replace living heroes with lifeless symbols that tell a distorted version of history. Use state power to punish those who don’t conform to the leader’s worldview. Convince the public that this is about “pride” or “security,” while consolidating political control.
America looks nothing like the country I grew up in during the 1980s. Despite all its flaws back then, today feels bizarre and unrecognizable. The shadow of fascism is spreading, and you need look no further than Trump’s attacks on the veteran community and their caretakers at VA.
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Instead of honoring our heroes — at a time when the U.S. military faces historic recruiting challenges — Trump would rather send his goons to recruit other goons to snatch and separate families across the country. His administration has poured billions into expanding and recruiting for its secret police forces, while lowering hiring standards — dropping age limits, scrapping college degree requirements, and even eliminating the polygraph exams that have long been a staple of federal law enforcement vetting.
It’s an age-old story: First they came for others … just hope Trump’s time in office ends before they come for you.