The Atlantic had a bit of a fit Wednesday after a mock-up screenshot of their home page featured the headline, "Trump Is Literally Hitler." Even worse, Elon Musk retweeted it. The Atlantic wrote a short piece outing the headline as fake and directing readers to their real and since debunked piece, "Trump: ‘I Need the Kind of Generals That Hitler Had’."

Now, a day later, the Washington Post has an opinion piece entitled, "No, Trump is not literally Hitler. So what is he?" The thesis: "Trump's allies and supporters claim that Trump's opponents call him Hitler. Most criticism, though, draws comparisons to the German dictator — ones that can be hard to set aside."

🚨🚨🚨 NOT LITERALLY HITLER 🚨🚨🚨 pic.twitter.com/2W4jw2pEvY

— John Ekdahl (@JohnEkdahl) October 24, 2024

This is progress: He's not literally Hitler, it's just that the comparisons to Hitler can be hard to set aside. Heck, The Guardian, The Daily Beast, The New Republic, The Independent, Politico, and HuffPost have all published pieces saying that Donald Trump's upcoming rally at Madison Square Garden "rally raises creepy echoes of Fritz Kuhn’s pro-Nazi rally in 1939" that was held in a different building also called Madison Square Garden.

The Washington Post admits:

No, Donald Trump is not Adolf Hitler. He has, happily, not engaged in either the systemized slaughter of a population or launched an effort to subjugate the world.

This is a big electoral plus, data shows. He hasn't systematically slaughtered people. So that's one in the plus column. pic.twitter.com/u8hdZWVgFN

— John Ekdahl (@JohnEkdahl) October 24, 2024

Recommended

Advertisement

This, though, is very unnerving. Since Trump was nearly assassinated, it can make it more difficult to compare him to Hitler, which can restrict free speech, like calling him Hitler. Very troublesome. pic.twitter.com/ZYawinEeVg

— John Ekdahl (@JohnEkdahl) October 24, 2024

Since the attempt on Trump's life in July, he and his allies have blamed anti-Trump rhetoric for the threats he has faced.

He and his allies are correct. This is the Washington Post hedging its bets, as it did in the sub-head, "Trump's allies and supporters claim that Trump's opponents call him Hitler." No, they don't just claim his opponents call him Hitler. And yes, all of the Hitler comparisons have inspired assassination attempts. And the Washington Post isn't helping.

Yesterday must not be polling well.

— Ranch Barlow (@iamranchbarlow) October 24, 2024

Canceling my WaPo subscription over this

— Damin Toell (@damintoell) October 24, 2024

What a concession.

— kirk rogers (@rogerskirk1) October 24, 2024

Someone deserves a Pulitzer for this reporting

— I'dRatherBeRight (@Lexington128) October 24, 2024

Guess the Hitlering isn't working for these guys.

— Mike Davidson Lives to Tweet (@DavidsonLives) October 24, 2024

Oh no, Trump is still a lot like Hitler. He's just not literally Hitler. 

Do they even know the definition of "literally?" And if so, do they think we need to be told he is not "literally" Hitler?

— Allen Smithee (@AllenSmithee6) October 24, 2024

That's just the hook to get you to read the piece.

"Trumps allies and supporters CLAIM..."

They just "claim", you reckon? pic.twitter.com/VI4JarJGwW

— Billy G (@BillyG35908955) October 24, 2024

Yes, Kamala Harris has been careful not to actually call Trump Hitler … she just held a brief press conference Wednesday to discuss how much Trump is like Hitler.

Damn what an endorsement for Trump by the Washington Post. 😂😂

— #RaiderNation (@NugsLoL) October 24, 2024

***