In an interview with The Washington Post’s David Ignatius, former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright stated that President Donald Trump is not a “fascist” but called him the “most undemocratic” president in American history.
While Albright said she does not believe fascism could thrive in the United States, she urged Americans to be aware of the political movement’s history and revival, which she outlines in her newly released book “Fascism: A Warning.”
Albright called attention to President Trump’s attacks on the media, citing them as dangerous for the nation.
While discussing the history of fascism she pointed to Adolf Hitler’s use of a propaganda minister — Joseph Goebbels — when the Nazis rose to power in Germany in 1933
“Freedom of the press is a basic aspect of democracy invented by Americans,” she said. “Talking about the press as the enemy of the people — it’s outrageous.”
Albright also discussed the Trump administration’s foreign policy approach.
Under President Bill Clinton in October of 2000, the former secretary traveled to North Korea. She described how her meeting with Kim Jong Il — Kim Jong Un’s father — resembled contemporary negotiations between the United States and North Korea.
“It is a very difficult and peculiar regime to deal with," she explained.
In terms of “parallels” to what is happening now, there was great “preparation...and time” that went into the talks.
Albright also noted that Kim Jong Il was “smart and informed,” and “determined to make some progress.”
If the June 12th summit between President Trump and Kim Jong Un takes place, Albright advised the American leader to “understand who he’s really dealing with” and acknowledge that “it’s only the beginning of the story” for the United States and North Korea.
“If there is any agreement...it has to be verifiable,” she said. “[It] can’t be based on trust.”