Daily Politics from the New Statesman Rutger Bregman “This Trump phenomenon really is fascism”
Feb 20, 2026
Rutger Bregman, Dutch historian and author known for bold public interventions and books on optimism and social policy, discusses viral media moments and the persona behind them. He tackles whether current US political shifts amount to a modern form of fascism. He reflects on liberalism’s decline, moral ambition versus happiness, and historical lessons about eroding norms.
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Liberal Social Democracy As A Moral Project
- Rutger Bregman frames his politics as an old-fashioned European social democracy that demands real moral ambition.
- He argues that this tradition is now declining and being replaced by narrower, selfish ideologies.
Viral Moments: Davos And Tucker Carlson
- Oli recounts Rutger Bregman's viral Davos moment where he asked billionaires if they'd considered paying their taxes.
- He also tells of an unaired Tucker Carlson interview that leaked after a heated exchange.
Modern Fascism Adapts To New Conditions
- Bregman notes fascism's historical connection to specific demographics and violence but says the modern form relies more on technology and different dynamics.
- He frames the contemporary variant as adapted to 21st-century conditions rather than a carbon copy of the past.