How Hitler’s attacks on the German press helped one of history’s greatest despots rise to power

Thane Rosenbaum, an expert on the holocaust and Nazi Germany, wants us to be careful not to use hyperbole when we compare Adolf Hitler’s Germany to President Donald Trump’s United States. But even though he’s extra careful, he still notices some “disturbing parallels” between the tactics used by both leaders — especially when it comes to their attacks on the press.

It’s no secret by now that Trump loves to dismiss stories critical of his demeanor or administration as “fake news” — but what you may not have known is that the “fake news” attack echoes one of Hitler’s favorite insults: “lugenpresse,” a word which translates roughly to “lying press.”

In an exclusive video op-ed for Mic, Rosenbaum explains the history of the “lying press” insult, how the insult helped Hitler rise to power and how Trump is damaging liberal democracy by echoing Hitler’s attacks on a free press. Watch above.