CIA cutout-linked writer mocked for ‘Trump is Hitler’ hit piece
The Atlantic magazine and its staff writer Anne Applebaum have faced widespread criticism after publishing an op-ed that compares former US President Donald Trump to infamous dictators such as Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, and Benito Mussolini.
The article, which claims Trump is borrowing rhetoric from some of the 20th century’s most notorious leaders, has been ridiculed online, particularly by pro-Trump commenters and political figures. Some have also drawn attention to Applebaum’s links to the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), a CIA cut-out.
The controversy erupted after Applebaum, a member of the board of NED, argued that Trump’s use of terms such as “vermin” to describe his opponents and his references to “criminal illegal immigrants as animals” echoed the dehumanizing language of the named dictators. The headline of her article – ‘Trump Is Speaking Like Hitler, Stalin, and Mussolini’ – ignited a flurry of backlash.
The Trump campaign dismissed the piece as “fake news by a third-rate media outlet,” while figures on social media openly mocked Applebaum and the magazine. Among the first to respond was journalist Glenn Greenwald, who commented, “When you spend eight years calling a person every bad name you can think of – including Hitler – and it doesn’t work, so you desperately decide to call him all the bad names at once.”
Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, also ridiculed the piece, responding with “I can’t stop laughing.” British conservative commenter Ben Kew chimed in as well, mocking The Atlantic’s editorial process: “I love the idea that the editors sat around and thought, ‘Let’s come up with a headline for Anne Applebaum’s piece that will really scare the average voter.’”
Critics of Applebaum also pointed to her connections to the NED, a government-funded organization with links to US intelligence operations. Some, including journalist Mike Benz, accused her of pushing a pro-intelligence agenda. “Anne Applebaum is on the board of directors for the most notorious CIA cut-out in US history,” Benz stated, suggesting her opinion pieces often align with US national security interests.
When you spend 8 years calling a person every bad name you can think of -- including Hitler -- only to see that it's not working, so you desperately decide the only thing left for you to do is call him all the bad names at once: pic.twitter.com/TMJWZNUNHW
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) October 18, 2024
NED is funded by the US State Department to do, in the words of its founder, Carl Gershman, what “was done covertly 25 years ago by the CIA.” In recent years, the NED has helped foment the 2014 Maidan coup in Ukraine, sponsored meetings of anti-Beijing officials and delegates in Taiwan, and financed a UK-based organization working to drive right-wing American news outlets out of business.
Applebaum’s published opinions and those of the US national security state rarely diverge. Writing for The Atlantic, she has advocated regime change in Russia, accused Trump of planning to “abandon” Ukraine and NATO, and accused Musk of “weakness” and “arrogance” over his refusal to help Kiev’s forces guide kamikaze drones into Russian naval targets in Crimea.
Despite her prominent role at NED, she has denied any personal links to the CIA. Nonetheless, critics highlight the close alignment of her views with US foreign policy initiatives.
The Atlantic has yet to respond to the widespread backlash against the article.
