“Trump won the election of 2020. The U.S. should seize Greenland, even if it means war. Bombing civilian boats at sea and killing survivors is moral. Ordering Cabinet Secretaries to use the government to harass and persecute opponents who oppose Trump is ok. Blackmailing states and cities to change local policies we disagree with is ok. Withholding disaster funds from places that didn’t vote for Trump is ok. Using the power of the FCC to intimidate media corporations into self-censorship is ok. ICE excessive force and violence against American citizens and those here legally is ok.” These are all things Trump supporting Republicans are forced to say or support.
Such opportunism and lack of morals by Trump supporting officials reminds one of politicians in Nazi occupied France who exhibited similar characteristics. I think of Republicans who have sold out their party’s values (and our nations values) as “Vichy Republicans.” Like politicians in Vichy France, these Republican politicians have placed their own personal ambition, their loyalty to a leader, and their willingness to defend lies and questionable practices, ahead of the good of conservatism and ahead of the good of the nation.
The Vichy French government, established after France’s defeat by Nazi Germany in 1940, was led by Marshal Philippe Pétain. The regime collaborated with the Nazis, administering the unoccupied “Free Zone” of France while adopting authoritarian policies and suppressing dissent. Vichy’s leaders often framed collaboration with Nazis as patriotic.
Political Loyalty and Allegiance
One key similarity between Trump-supporting Republicans and the Vichy French lies in their expressions of political loyalty. The Vichy regime’s leaders and supporters rallied around Pétain as a figurehead, viewing him as the embodiment of French values and stability during a time of crisis. Similarly, many Trump-supporting Republican politicians have demonstrated unwavering loyalty to Donald Trump, prioritizing allegiance to him over long-standing party principles and institutional norms.
In both cases, loyalty to a charismatic leader became a defining element, sometimes leading to the marginalization or purging of dissenting voices within their ranks. In Vichy France, those who opposed collaboration were sidelined, imprisoned, or forced into exile. In Trumps Republican Party, critics and dissenters have faced political ostracism, primary challenges, or removal from leadership roles. As in Vichy France, Trump has weaponized the government against anyone who speaks out against him or does not bend to his will. As a result, Republican politicians in America today repeat and defend things they know are lies as though it were the truth, and vote for things they do not agree with because their leaders demand 100% cooperation. With Trump, loyalty only flows in one direction. He supports you, but only as long as you always bend to his will.
Nationalism
Nationalism plays a central role in both movements. The Vichy regime promoted an ideology of “National Revolution,” seeking to restore traditional values, order, and a sense of lost greatness. Trump-supporting Republicans emphasize similar themes of national revival, often encapsulated in slogans like “Make America Great Again.” Both groups frame their movements as efforts to reclaim lost national identity and resist perceived threats from outsiders or internal “enemies.”
This focus on identity includes appeals to tradition, religious values, and a selective interpretation of national history. In both cases, these narratives have been used to justify controversial policies and to rally supporters around a unifying, if often exclusionary, vision of the nation. Both regimes foster an “Us against Them” and an “enemy mentality” against those deemed not “real citizens” due to often innate, unchangeable characteristics such as sexual orientation, gender identity, place of birth, or skin color. Religion is also used by both regimes to attack and criticize “others.”
Collaboration Versus Resistance
A further parallel can be drawn in the dynamics between collaboration and resistance. In Vichy France, collaboration with the occupying Nazi power was rationalized as a pragmatic choice, but it came at the cost of suppressing opposition and compromising democratic ideals. In the context of the Republican Party, Trump-supporting Republicans have enabled or excused actions that undermine democratic norms, such as questioning the legitimacy of elections, supporting efforts to overturn electoral outcomes, politicizing the Department of Justice, and using government to pressure media companies to engage in self-censorship.
At the same time, both contexts have seen the emergence of internal resistance. In France, the Resistance became a symbol of defiance against authoritarianism and an alternative democratic and free vision for the nation. Within the Republican Party, a minority of members have spoken out against Trump’s influence, advocating for a return to traditional conservatism or defending democratic institutions. These conservatives have been largely exiled and shunned by Trump loyalist to the point that a republican who does not defend lies about the 2020 election is virtually unable to win a Republican primary.
Comparison between Trump-supporting Republicans and the Vichy French serve as a cautionary tale about the dangers of excessive loyalty to a leader, the manipulation of national identity, the undermining of democratic institutions, and the suppression of dissent. History reminds us that the health of a democracy depends on the willingness of its citizens and leaders to uphold principles, tolerate dissent, and place country above personal or partisan allegiance. Unfortunately, Trump supporters, like the leaders of Vichy France, do not tolerate dissent, do not uphold Conservative principles (such as the rule of law, for example), and consistently place their own personal and partisan goals ahead of the good of the country. Trump supporters are members of a cult of personality who are unwilling to reconsider their support of Trump, even when faced with indisputable facts. Republican politicians who support Trump are among the most Vichy Republicans of all because they know that Trump is a fraud, they know that Trump is doing serious long-term harm to the United States, and they know that Trump is doing serious long-term harm to peace and stability. Yet Republican politicians continue supporting Trump because they value being in office more than they value the many conservative principles Trump is harming. They support Trump even more than they care about the good of our country. No one has done more to harm the long-term health of the US Economy and to harm US interest around the globe than Donald Trump. Vichy Republicans know this yet support Trump anyway. Republicans who support Trump are doing serious harm to the nation and to the world. I encourage you and the media to adopt the term “Vichy Republicans” for any official who is betraying conservative principles and American values with their continued support of Trump.
Call them what they are – Vichy Republicans.