Vice President Kamala Harris and other top Democrats have shed their reluctance to call former President Donald Trump a fascist, signaling a shift in rhetoric. Harris has openly stated that it is acceptable to use the term to describe Trump's vision. Democrats have previously avoided using the term out of fear of alienating Trump's followers, but with Trump's rhetoric becoming increasingly nativist and threatening, they are now more willing to make the connection. Historians and political scientists have debated the definition of fascism, but many argue that Trump's behavior and policies align with key characteristics of the ideology.