By Cliff Potts
For decades, Robert Reich has been hailed as a progressive economist, a conscience for the working class, and one of the few Democratic insiders willing to criticize his own party. But when it comes to identifying and calling out the fascist threads woven into the American political system—threads that stretch back to the Eisenhower era and culminated in the rise of Donald Trump—Reich’s record is far from spotless (Corrigan, 2013).
Reich didn’t just miss the signs. He ignored them. Or worse, excused them under the guise of “restoring the common good.”
The Golden Age Myth
Reich’s romanticization of the 1950s and ’60s as the “Great Prosperity” conveniently omits the fascist architecture underpinning that era: Jim Crow apartheid, McCarthyist witch hunts, and a militarized Cold War state that criminalized dissent (Reich, 2013). He praised the middle-class boom but glossed over the systemic white supremacy and state repression that made it possible (Corrigan, 2013).
Carter, Corporations, and a Missed Coup
During his time in Jimmy Carter’s administration, Reich watched corporate power mount a silent coup, thanks to the Powell Memo and exploding K Street lobbying. He said nothing. Only decades later did he admit that this era marked the end of New Deal-style democratic capitalism (Reich, 2023).
Reagan and the Rise of Authoritarian Conservatism
Reich took on Reaganomics with gusto—attacking tax cuts, deregulation, and union-busting—but never named Reaganism for what it was: a polished authoritarian project. He failed to frame the crushing of PATCO, the dog-whistle racism, and the Religious Right’s ascendancy as the fascist threat they were (Lofgren, 2024).
Clinton, NAFTA, and White-Collar Authoritarianism
As Secretary of Labor, Reich not only supported NAFTA—he mocked opponents. He dismissed labor’s warnings, calling fears of job loss “just plain wrong” (Wikipedia, 2025). He was wrong. And when Clinton passed welfare “reform” that eviscerated the safety net and escalated mass incarceration, Reich stayed in his Cabinet seat. He didn’t resign. He didn’t speak out.
Today, he condemns the economic inequality those policies caused—policies he helped enact.
Post-9/11: Shopping While the Republic Burned
When Bush rolled out the PATRIOT Act and invaded Iraq under false pretenses, Reich’s focus wasn’t on fascism—it was on GDP. He told Americans to shop to show resilience (Wamsley, 2021). He didn’t call out the surveillance state. He didn’t scream about Guantanamo or indefinite detention. He gave Bush the benefit of the doubt.
2008: The “Worst Recovery Ever” and a Misfire
Reich was right to warn that the post-2008 recovery would benefit the rich. But in claiming it was “the worst recovery on record,” he contradicted historical reality (Black, 2013). Economists called him out for cherry-picking. Meanwhile, he continued praising Obama’s technocracy, never quite confronting how the liberal elite had shielded bankers while leaving millions behind (Reich, 2012).
Too Little, Too Late on Trump
It wasn’t until Trump’s open authoritarianism—kids in cages, election lies, a coup attempt—that Reich began using the word fascism (Reich, 2025). By then, the barn had burned down and Reich was tweeting about the ashes.
Even then, he blamed “economic anxiety” more than white supremacy, ignoring that Trump’s base was wealthier than Clinton’s and driven by cultural resentment, not poverty (Lofgren, 2024).
The Liberal Blind Spot
Reich has always believed America can be “nudged” back toward justice with a little more civility and better economics. That’s not just wrong—it’s dangerous. Fascism doesn’t yield to incrementalism. It feeds off it (Corrigan, 2013).
By refusing to name American fascism for what it was until it was too late, Reich became part of the problem.
Final Word
Robert Reich helped build the world he now warns against. He meant well. But meaning well while fascism metastasizes is not good enough.
We can’t afford liberal nostalgia. We need radical clarity. The enemy is here. And it’s not just Trump—it’s the bipartisan rot that Reich once refused to name.
Until we confront all of it—Reagan’s cruelty, Clinton’s complicity, Obama’s silence, and yes, Reich’s own omissions—we will remain vulnerable.
History won’t remember intentions. Only results.
References
Black, W. K. (2013, April 17). Robert Reich has a good heart but an inadequate grasp of economics. New Economic Perspectives. https://neweconomicperspectives.org
Corrigan, Z. (2013, October 30). Robert Reich’s Inequality for All: A friendly warning to the powers that be. World Socialist Web Site. https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2013/10/30/reic-o30.html
Lofgren, M. (2024, May 21). Reich is wrong: A revolt against laissez-faire did not make fascism popular. Common Dreams. https://www.commondreams.org/opinion
Reich, R. (2003, August 2). The honeymoon continues for George. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com
Reich, R. (2012, April 7). America’s hall of mirrors recovery. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com
Reich, R. (2023, February 23). Jimmy Carter and the end of democratic capitalism. Robert Reich’s Substack. https://robertreich.substack.com
Reich, R. (2025, July 24). So much for socialism. Eurasia Review. https://www.eurasiareview.com
Wamsley, L. (2021, September 9). After 9/11, American patriotism meant buying things to support the economy. Vox. https://www.vox.com
Wikipedia contributors. (2025). Robert Reich. In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Reich
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