Daniele Capezzone‘s latest book, “Trumpists or Muskists, but ‘fascists’ nonetheless” (Piemme, 2025), has the merit of saying what many think but few dare to say: the word “fascism” has become an ideological club, used as a universal insult against anyone who dares to deviate from the dominant line of thought.
Today, simply quoting Musk, appreciating Milei or even just not demonizing Trump is enough to be automatically branded a “fascist.” It doesn’t matter what you really think, it doesn’t matter what you do: only the stigma counts. It is the mark of contemporary heresy, stuck on anyone who does not recite the woke catechism.
Capezzone does not write a eulogy for the most controversial leaders of our time. He does not sanctify them; on the contrary, he recognizes their flaws, ambiguities, and limitations. But he lays bare the paradox: they are not the real target. The
target is freedom of thought. It is the right to disagree. It is the very possibility of saying, “I don’t see it the way you do.”
And this is where his book hits the mark. Because the new inquisition does not fight real fascism—that is history, and tragic history at that—but constructs a convenient specter to be wielded against anyone who does not bow down. Thus, anti-fascism, emptied of meaning, becomes the perfect alibi for intolerance.
The most extreme case, unfortunately, is already a reality: the murder of the young conservative leader Charlie Kirk in the United States a few days after the book’s release. An event that makes Capezzone’s warning dramatically relevant. Because when a poll shows that half of the progressive electorate considers it “justifiable” to eliminate Trump or Musk, democratic debate has already been replaced by fanaticism.
The lesson is clear: if everything becomes fascism, then nothing really is. And while playing with words, we risk legitimizing violence.
Capezzone is not suggesting that we fall in love with Trump or idolize Musk. He is suggesting that we think rationally, reject toxic simplifications, and defend pluralism. In an age when the media thrives on polarization and social media fuels permanent tribunals, his is an act of courage.
You may not agree with all of his positions. You may even detest the characters mentioned in the book. But one thing is certain: those who love democracy cannot tolerate freedom of speech being reduced to a moral crime.
The real scandal is not Trump. It is not Musk. It is the transformation of anti-fascism into a caricature: from a battle against a real dictatorship to a catch-all label, good for silencing anyone. It is the hysteria that mistakes dissent for heresy.
And when half of the progressive American electorate says that political murder “can be justified,” we are no longer in the realm of rhetoric. We are already in the realm of madness.
After all, Trumpisti o muskisti is not a “right-wing” book. It is a book for those who refuse to be silenced with insults. And that is why it is disturbing: because it forces us to choose whether we want to live in a country of diverse opinions, or in a church where a single truth is imposed by moral decree.
Capezzone issues a simple warning: if everything is fascism, then nothing is. And the real danger becomes censorship disguised as virtue.
You don’t have to love Trump or idolize Musk to understand this. You just have to love freedom.
