Mehdi Hasan: Are Voters Not Aware of Trump’s ‘Authoritarianism’ or Are They ‘Keen on It?’

Hasan Tara the much ░░░░░░░░ New York Times CNN ░░░░░░░░ state polls last week ░░░░░░░░ Donald Trump the authoritarian ░░░░░░░░ Joe Biden the incumbent ░░░░░░░░ many key battlegrounds I ░░░░░░░░ to ask is this ░░░░░░░░ in your view voters ░░░░░░░░ not aware of Trump ░░░░░░░░ authoritarianism or is it ░░░░░░░░ a lot of them ░░░░░░░░ quite keen on it ░░░░░░░░ I think it s ░░░░░░░░ combination of both And ░░░░░░░░ think in America we ░░░░░░░░ t want to admit ░░░░░░░░ that point that there ░░░░░░░░ so many Americans that ░░░░░░░░ susceptible to this authoritarianism ░░░░░░░░ I do believe strongly ░░░░░░░░ are a lot more ░░░░░░░░ us who believe in ░░░░░░░░ constitutional Republican and the ░░░░░░░░ of democracy The problem ░░░░░░░░ that we have a ░░░░░░░░ short attention span first ░░░░░░░░ all number one Another ░░░░░░░░ is a considerable amount ░░░░░░░░ disinformation and manipulation of ░░░░░░░░ information on social media ░░░░░░░░ TikTok on down that ░░░░░░░░ shaping people s behavior ░░░░░░░░ also we are a ░░░░░░░░ out people really aren ░░░░░░░░ paying attention which is ░░░░░░░░ and I ve said ░░░░░░░░ many times that the ░░░░░░░░ and President Biden s ░░░░░░░░ has got to start ░░░░░░░░ the narrative now pushing ░░░░░░░░ against this forcing the ░░░░░░░░ people to pay attention ░░░░░░░░ they re not going ░░░░░░░░ fight for something if ░░░░░░░░ don t understand why ░░░░░░░░ need to fight for ░░░░░░░░ And they don t ░░░░░░░░ I don t think ░░░░░░░░ American people want to ░░░░░░░░ up to what Nazi ░░░░░░░░ woke up to in ░░░░░░░░ 30s and 40s or ░░░░░░░░ other countries in the ░░░░░░░░ bloc woke up to ░░░░░░░░ they didn t think ░░░░░░░░ this will be their ░░░░░░░░ free and fair election ░░░░░░░░ has happened in history ░░░░░░░░ And we ve seen ░░░░░░░░ close we came in ░░░░░░░░ country to it happening ░░░░░░░░ after January 6 Hasan ░░░░░░░░ SETMAYER I mean the ░░░░░░░░ right the loyalty oaths ░░░░░░░░ what you discussed in ░░░░░░░░ in your monologue in ░░░░░░░░ beginning of pledging loyalty ░░░░░░░░ that s what they ░░░░░░░░ the the determining factor ░░░░░░░░ be for hiring folks ░░░░░░░░ government They did this ░░░░░░░░ 1933 in Nazi Germany ░░░░░░░░ had a civil service ░░░░░░░░ that that forced civil ░░░░░░░░ to have to pledge ░░░░░░░░ in order to keep ░░░░░░░░ jobs And what did ░░░░░░░░ mean That meant kicking ░░░░░░░░ us and that we ░░░░░░░░ about camps there were ░░░░░░░░ camps I mean this ░░░░░░░░ real You and I ░░░░░░░░ you will be the ░░░░░░░░ ones on barges to ░░░░░░░░ Gitmo at this point ░░░░░░░░ would come after everyone ░░░░░░░░ has not bowed down ░░░░░░░░ Trump and his fascism ░░░░░░░░ are telling us what ░░░░░░░░ re doing They are ░░░░░░░░ us Hasan Yes SETMAYER ░░░░░░░░ re not making it ░░░░░░░░ And the American people ░░░░░░░░ we have a responsibility ░░░░░░░░ all of us that ░░░░░░░░ platforms to keep drilling ░░░░░░░░ home that we are ░░░░░░░░ blowing this out of ░░░░░░░░ It s coming out ░░░░░░░░ their own mouths Hasan ░░░░░░░░ certainly is And I ░░░░░░░░ always wanted to see ░░░░░░░░ but not from that ░░░░░░░░ for sure.”
SETMAYER: “Correct.”