German philosopher Walter Benjamin had an interesting thesis on the phenomenon of fascism: “every rise of Fascism bears witness to a failed revolution.”
The most obvious example is the rise of Nazism in Germany (the communist Revolution of 1918-19 failed, which allowed Hitler to later harbor the discontent people still had towards the government and rise to power). Perhaps we may be seeing a similar (albeit less-extreme) phenomenon in the US with the rise of Donald Trump and his harboring of the discontent that many Americans currently possess.
The recession earlier in the millennium caused many to feel angry and frustrated. Though not a full-blown revolution, many people (mostly liberals and others who lean left) went out and exclaimed their discontent with the government and its economic policies in the 2011 Occupy Movement. The movement failed in initiating any real change, leaving many feeling dissatisfied.
This feeling of discontent is still in the minds of many Americans and Trump has thus far done a remarkable job of harboring this discontent and using it for his political advantage, in fact many New Hampshire Primary voters were unsure if they were going to vote for Trump or Bernie Sanders (another candidate largely supported by those wishing for change in the system). However, unlike the Occupy Movement and Sanders, which largely recognize the causes of the issues, Trump responds to the issues in an extremely reactionary way – blaming many of the problems on those who did not actually cause them (Mexicans, etc.).
Though Trump is likely not a full-blown fascist to the extent of Hitler, Franco, and Mussolini, he does possess some very fascist views. He portrays the US as weak in comparison to its former might (the motto of his campaign is “Make America Great Again”). He also uses weaker and somewhat disliked (by some) groups as scapegoats instead of addressing the true causes of issues. His view of the military as crumbling and his desire to use extensively in negotiations is eerily comparable to Hitler at the dawn of the Second World War.
If one wishes to stop Trump and his “Trumpism”, the solution is not that of electing Hillary Clinton (who is a left-leaning moderate at best), as Clinton is unable to go against the establishment that Trump so heavily criticizes and many people antagonize, because Clinton is this establishment. So when Clinton, Trump, or any other candidate for that matter wins, Americans must deal with their choice for four years. However, after four years pass and the next elections come around, people must demand a president who is not only anti-establishment, but is anti-establishment in a non-reactionary way and will work to correct the roots of the problems that are the discontent that gave rise to Trump in the first place.