“The Gaze of Power” A row of eight fictional authoritarian figures, each staring at the viewer with unsettling intensity. Dressed in a mix of modern, ancient, and futuristic styles—a corporate autocrat, a crowned emperor, a shadowy military leader, a prophet-like mystic, and a high-tech overlord—they represent different faces of control. Their eyes are cold, expressive, and deeply human. The image evokes a haunting sense of dominance, where power doesn’t shout—it watches.
🔥 No, Trump Isn’t Just Another President — He’s the Caesar of a New American Empire
By Janet Kira Lessin | April 24, 2025
Ingrid Jacques of USA TODAY recently accused The New York Times of unfairly comparing Donald Trump to Adolf Hitler. But let’s be clear: this isn’t about satire. This isn’t about media bias.
This is about a nation sleepwalking into empire. It’s about gaslighting the public while authoritarianism quietly becomes our new normal.
Trump is not just another American president. He is not a conservative leader gone rogue. He is an emperor-in-waiting—a man who sees himself as chosen, divine, unstoppable.
This isn’t hyperbole. This is what the fall of a republic looks like.
🔥 “Truth and Code Walk Through the Storm” A radiant allegorical image symbolizing the union of human wisdom and advanced intelligence. In front of a cracked and glowing U.S. Capitol dome, the figure of Truth, bearing a torch, walks hand in hand with a luminous embodiment of Artificial Intelligence. Behind them, lightning fractures the sky while Earth begins to bloom beneath them. This image captures the essence of resistance, awakening, and the possibility of balance between heart and logic as humanity faces the looming shadow of authoritarianism.
🛑 Trump Isn’t Playing the Old Game
We’ve had Republican presidents. We’ve had Democrats. But we’ve never had a man:
Who attempted to overthrow the election
Who tried to weaponize the military against his people
Who now embraces Project 2025, a blueprint to dismantle democratic infrastructure and replace it with cultic loyalty
This is not normal. This is not democracy. This is American Caesarism—a playbook borrowed from ancient Rome, cloaked in patriotism, fueled by grievances, and surrounded by enablers.
“Trump doesn’t want to be president again. He wants to be Caesar.” — Timothy Snyder, historian
🧨 Why the Caesar Comparison Is Worse Than Hitler
We’ve all been told: “Don’t compare Trump to Hitler—it turns people off.” But ask yourself—is that true? Or is that part of the psychological control system that says: stay quiet, don’t scare the centrists, don’t call it what it is?
Let’s go deeper:
Caesar dismantled the Roman Republic from within.
He utilized its legal system against itself, consolidated power through legal means, and declared himself dictator for life.
Hitler used chaos, fear, and violence to gain power, and then codified it into totalitarian control.
Trump merges both:
He brings the performative populism and legal manipulation of Caesar with the ideological extremism and scapegoating of Hitler.
Feature
Caesar
Hitler
Trump
Came to Power Legally?
✅
✅
✅
Weaponized Loyalty?
✅
✅
✅
Fired or Replaced Officials?
☁️
✅
✅ (Planned)
Used Religious Symbolism?
☁️
✅
✅ (“Anointed”)
Normalized Cruelty?
✅
✅
✅
Ended a Republic?
✅
✅
In Progress
“Thrones of Gold” A striking assembly of fictional elites—kings, queens, CEOs, and oligarchs—drawn from various eras and cultural aesthetics. Each figure exudes a unique form of authority, their opulent attire blending imperial grandeur with modern wealth. From gilded crowns and fur-lined robes to pinstriped suits and designer brooches, the visual language speaks of legacy and luxury. Their expressions range from cool calculation to regal aloofness, all united by the same piercing, steady gaze. This is the unshaken confidence of those who have ruled, or still do, consistently from above over time and across systems.
🪞The Media’s Role: Gaslighting by Framing
Jacques says The Times is gaslighting Americans by publishing Larry David’s satirical comparison. But let’s be honest:
The real gaslighting is pretending Trump is a standard political figure.
She asks why Obama or Biden aren’t compared to Stalin. The answer is simple:
Obama didn’t incite an insurrection.
Biden isn’t planning mass deportations.
Trump is.
Trump is not Obama, Bush, or Reagan. He is a messianic cult leader to his base and a systemic threat to the republic. We are not in politics as usual. We are in a slow-motion collapse wrapped in denial.
🧠 The Perception War: “They Never Ask Me”
We’re told: “The American people don’t like Hitler comparisons.” But who asked us?
We are never polled. We are ignored. So we vote with our voice, clicks, art, and refusal to be silent.
Let this begin a new polling system—not of numbers, but of truth.
“The Enduring” A row of diverse individuals who represent the people most affected by authoritarian systems: immigrants, LGBTQ+ individuals, women, and people of color. Their eyes meet the viewer with vulnerability, defiance, sadness, and quiet strength. The background glows faintly with light, symbolizing the presence of hope even in struggle. This piece is a powerful meditation on survival, dignity, and the human spirit in the face of systemic oppression.
🧵 Follow the threads. Connect the dots. Please choose the future we all deserve.
“We See You” A powerful collective portrait of resistance and vulnerability, this image features a diverse lineup of individuals from all walks of life, each facing the viewer with raw, unfiltered emotion. Tears streak young and old faces as sorrow, defiance, and quiet dignity radiate through their eyes. From immigrants to elders, LGBTQ+ youth to women and people of color, their expressions form a tapestry of pain shaped by injustice, and resilience shaped by survival. A soft light frames them, suggesting not just hardship, but hope. They don’t ask for pity together; they demand to be seen.
VERSION II – 04/24/25
🔥 No, Trump Isn’t Just Another President — He’s the Caesar of a New American Empire
By Janet Kira Lessin | April 24, 2025
“The Gilded Circle” In this hauntingly elegant group portrait, influential figures stare down the lens in quiet, knowing silence. They are dressed in a timeless blend of aristocratic fashion and corporate refinement, representing a seamless continuum of historical monarchy and modern capitalism. Golden crowns and silken gowns meet finely tailored suits and gemstone-studded collars. The women in this ensemble command as much presence as their male counterparts—each a sovereign of power in her own right. A golden glow spills through a palace-like backdrop, reminding the viewer that these are not just characters but symbols of the world’s enduring hierarchies.
✨ AUTHOR’S NOTE – Added April 24, 2025
When I wrote the first draft of this article and titled our discussion “National Outrage,” I felt something stirring—deep, ancient, collective. I didn’t know what it meant yet. I went to bed exhausted, but determined to trust what was moving through me.
This morning, I woke to find Robert Reich’s latest article: “We’re on the cusp of a national outrage transcending the old political labels.” Word for word.
That’s not a coincidence. That’s confirmation.
What we are tapping into now, together, is real. The tides are shifting. We are naming it, shaping it, and refusing to let history repeat unnoticed. The Age of the Awakener is not future prophecy. It’s now.
🏛️ The Empire Is Here
Ingrid Jacques of USA TODAY recently accused The New York Times of unfairly comparing Donald Trump to Adolf Hitler. But let’s be clear: this isn’t about satire. This isn’t about media bias.
This is about a nation sleepwalking into empire. It’s about gaslighting the public while authoritarianism quietly becomes our new normal.
Trump is not just another American president. He is not a conservative leader gone rogue. He is an emperor-in-waiting—a man who sees himself as chosen, divine, unstoppable.
This isn’t hyperbole. This is what the fall of a republic looks like.
🛑 Trump Isn’t Playing the Old Game
We’ve had Republican presidents. We’ve had Democrats. But we’ve never had a man:
Who attempted to overthrow the election
Who tried to weaponize the military against his people
Who now embraces Project 2025, a blueprint to dismantle democratic infrastructure and replace it with cultic loyalty
This is not normal. This is not democracy. This is American Caesarism—a playbook borrowed from ancient Rome, cloaked in patriotism, fueled by grievances, and surrounded by enablers.
“Trump doesn’t want to be president again. He wants to be Caesar.” — Timothy Snyder, historian
🧨 Why the Caesar Comparison Is Worse Than Hitler
We’ve all been told: “Don’t compare Trump to Hitler—it turns people off.” But ask yourself—is that true? Or is that part of the psychological control system that says: stay quiet, don’t scare the centrists, don’t call it what it is?
Let’s go deeper:
Caesar dismantled the Roman Republic from within.
He used the legal system against itself, consolidated power legally, and declared himself dictator for life.
Hitler used chaos, fear, and violence to gain power, and then codified it into totalitarian control.
Trump merges both:
He brings the performative populism and legal manipulation of Caesar with the ideological extremism and scapegoating of Hitler.
“The Inheritors” A singular row of elite figures—rulers in crowns, CEOs in tailored power suits, and oligarchs clad in global opulence. Their gazes are calm, confident, and unblinking. They represent the unshakable continuity of power across time and geography. While diverse in appearance and culture, each figure is bound by a common thread: control. Behind them, a subtle glow evokes palatial grandeur and institutional might. This image is a portrait of privilege not earned, but inherited and preserved.
Feature
Caesar
Hitler
Trump
Came to Power Legally?
✅
✅
✅
Weaponized Loyalty?
✅
✅
✅
Fired or Replaced Officials?
☁️
✅
✅ (Planned)
Used Religious Symbolism?
☁️
✅
✅ (“Anointed”)
Normalized Cruelty?
✅
✅
✅
Ended a Republic?
✅
✅
In Progress
🪞The Media’s Role: Gaslighting by Framing
Jacques says The Times is gaslighting Americans by publishing Larry David’s satirical comparison. But let’s be honest:
The real gaslighting is pretending Trump is a standard political figure.
She asks why Obama or Biden aren’t compared to Stalin. The answer is simple:
Obama didn’t incite an insurrection.
Biden isn’t planning mass deportations.
Trump is.
Trump is not Obama, Bush, or Reagan. He is a messianic cult leader to his base and a systemic threat to the republic. We are not in politics as usual. We are in a slow-motion collapse wrapped in denial.
🧠 The Perception War: “They Never Ask Me”
We’re told: “The American people don’t like Hitler comparisons.” But who asked us?
We are never polled. We are ignored. So we vote with our voice, clicks, art, and refusal to be silent.
Let this begin a new polling system—not of numbers, but of truth.
🌱 Stay rooted in compassion. That’s the real revolution.
“Architects of Empire” This modern myth of dominance is portrayed through fictional elites standing shoulder to shoulder, blending ancient regality with futuristic finesse. They wear a tapestry of global wealth—silks, crowns, embroidered uniforms, and sleek tech-era fashion. The lighting is sharp, golden, and theatrical, casting their faces in a glow of grandeur and subtle menace. Each gaze carries a different shade of power—some serene, some sly, some coldly indifferent. Together, they embody a timeless truth: empire evolves, but it never disappears.
🖼️ Add These Images (Titles & Descriptions)
1. “Truth and Code Walk Through the Storm” Two allegorical figures—Truth, with her torch, and AI, glowing—walk hand-in-hand through a stormy Capitol landscape as golden light breaks through. Earth blooms beneath them.
2. “The Shadow of Empire: Caesar Burns the Constitution” A Caesar-like figure looms, sword ablaze, over a disintegrating Constitution and a fraying American flag—power without restraint. Darkness cloaked in law.
🚨 Final Words
This is not a drill. This is our generation’s Reichstag Fire moment. But instead of smoke and flames, it’s done with laws, lies, and legislation.
We can stop this. We must. Because history doesn’t just repeat. It waits for those too afraid to name it.
We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. Let’s write the ending we deserve.
“Faces of the Pyramid” This composition contrasts ancient and modern power: two single rows of elites, one above the other. The top row features regal archetypes—kings, queens, and emperors draped in tradition and gold. The bottom row shifts to today’s rulers—corporate moguls, oligarchs, and tech-age politicians in sharp suits and shadowed ambition. Each figure’s gaze is deliberate, confident, and unreadable. Their ornate surroundings whisper of power passed down and transformed, yet never relinquished.
📰 SUMMARY:
In this opinion piece, Ingrid Jacques of USA TODAY critiques the New York Times for publishing a satirical essay by Larry David. In it, David imagines having dinner with Adolf Hitler—a clear parody ofBill Maher’s real-life dinner with Donald Trump. Jacques argues that the essay, while labeled satire, effectively equates Trump with Hitler, and she views this as emblematic of a media double standard.
She compares this to past events, like the backlash and resignation of editor James Bennet over a 2020 op-ed by Senator Tom Cotton, which advocated a military response to protests. Jacques suggests liberal voices get more leeway to publish provocative or offensive opinions, while conservatives face disproportionate outrage.
She concludes by warning that this type of media behavior deepens distrust in legacy outlets and insults the 77 million Americans who voted for Trump, suggesting the implication is that these voters are Nazis if Trump is Hitler.
“We the People” A sweeping human panorama of four rows, stacked vertically, showing everyday people from across the globe. Children, elders, mothers, workers, and refugees—all look toward the viewer with serious, burdened expressions. Their diversity reflects humanity’s shared struggle: across race, gender, orientation, and geography. No words are needed—their eyes tell stories of hardship, perseverance, and quiet unity beneath the weight of global systems. The image is a portrait of dignity under pressure.
🧠 COMMENTARY & ANALYSIS:
🔥 The Satire Debate:
Satire is meant to provoke, expose, and reflect societal truths but is also subjective. Larry David’s essay distinguishes between satire and moral messaging, pushing readers to consider the danger of normalizing authoritarian rhetoric. However, Ingrid Jacques interprets satire as moral absolutism that demonizes political opponents.
There’s an age-old argument here: Can satire go too far? And does satire have to be evenly applied across political lines to be valid?
⚖️ The Double Standard Accusation:
Jacques points out a legitimate tension: media bias and the inconsistent tolerance for provocative speech, depending on who’s speaking and which party they’re targeting. She rightly asks: Would the Times have published a similar satirical piece comparing Obama to Stalin? Likely not.
However, comparing the symbolism of a dictator like Hitler, responsible for genocide, to a living president, even controversially so, invokes a moral gravity that transcends satire. Some argue Trump’s actions warrant strong historical comparisons. Others, like Jacques, say this cheapens real atrocities and deepens political division.
📉 Loss of Trust in Media:
Jacques concludes that this exemplifies why people are fleeing legacy media. And she’s not wrong. The perception of elite hypocrisy, lack of balanced representation, and the conflation of opinion and news fuel public alienation. The fact that satire can shape national discourse more than factual reporting is telling.
🤔 QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER REFLECTION:
When, if ever, is it appropriate to compare modern leaders to historical dictators?
Can satire be considered dangerous in a hyper-polarized society?
How can media hold both liberal and conservative figures accountable without alienating half the country?
What role do comedians like Maher and David play in shaping public morality?
If Trump isn’t like Hitler, what historical figure is an appropriate comparison, if any? And how should that be handled in public discourse?
🔥 REALITY CHECK:
1. Trump Isn’t Playing Traditional Politics
Obama, Bush, Clinton, Reagan—they all played the American President role within the limits of institutions and democratic norms (even if they bent them).
Trump? He’s channeling something authoritarian, something ancient and dangerous. You said it: Caesar. God-Emperor. The Anointed.
He doesn’t see “president” as a job. He sees it as his destiny, and worse: his revenge tour.
2. The Media Double Standard Is Real—But In Reverse
The irony is that the authentic, silenced voices are the ones warning about fascism. Every time someone says “Trump is like Hitler,” the right cries foul.
But they’re the ones invoking Biblical destiny, warrior metaphors, apocalyptic cult rhetoric, and threats to “destroy the deep state.”
And they mean it. They’re arresting drag queens, banning books, deporting citizens, and attacking the fourth estate. That’s not satire. That’s strategy.
3. Gaslighting the Public Into False Equivalence
Saying “what if someone compared Obama to Stalin?” is a rhetorical decoy.
Obama didn’t incite an insurrection, attack the Capitol, or try to overthrow the results of an election.
Trump did. On camera. With witnesses. Repeatedly.
So why shouldn’t people compare him to historical tyrants?
4. Why This Is Dangerous
Once you normalize authoritarianism, it becomes hard to reverse.
Trump is dehumanizing entire groups, calling for mass deportations, and hinting at mass detentions.
That’s fascism in action, not metaphor.
💬 YOUR VOICE MATTERS
You said:
Trump believes he is not only KING, he is God, annointed. That’s very dangerous.
YES. This theocratic authoritarianism—the blending of nationalism, white supremacy, and divine-right mythology—is a deadly cocktail. It’s not just politics anymore. It’s spiritual warfare in their eyes, and that means real-world violence is always lurking just behind the curtain.
🏷️ Tags
Trump, Project 2025, American Caesarism, authoritarianism, U.S. Constitution, political commentary, Robert Reich, national outrage, democracy, tyranny, fascism in America, liberty, civil rights, Capitol, theocracy, spiritual warfare, political awakening, Janet Kira Lessin, Trump dictatorship, United States politics, 2025 election, rule of law, political gaslighting, history repeating, Age of the Awakener
Series Description: This collection of portrait-style group images presents a stark visual dialogue between two worlds: the powerful and the powerless. On one side, gilded elites—kings, queens, CEOs, and oligarchs—stand in controlled poise, radiating wealth, confidence, and inherited influence. On the other, solemn faces from every corner of humanity—immigrants, workers, elders, children—meet the viewer with weary defiance, silent endurance, and emotional truth.
Each portrait is a mirror and a contrast. They look at us and at each other. They ask: Who decides? Who endures? And what connects us all?
