I think 2001-2005 was far more fascist than today, to be totally honest. If 2020 is the last days of Weimar, 2002 was 1934

Like Trump supporters have to make up bizarre conspiracy theories to convince themselves the silent majority supports them despite clear evidence to the contrary. In 2003 people who didn't think the Middle East should be turned to glass were the Qanoners.

The appeal to right wing street violence reflects the weakness of the right's hold on the state rather than its strength. Democrats in the post-911 era existed purely as a loyal opposition, without even token resistance.

Since then the GOP's procedural gambits and constitutional gamesmanship have gotten more sophisticated, but that's because they can't count on the normal machinery like they could in the first Bush term. Dems are bad at opposition but now they're at least trying.

People seem to be assuming Trump thinks the Proud Boys are going to bring him to power. What he's actually hoping for is that the chaos (or the gambit of anti-Iran aggression, as plan B) will bring him enough popular support to put him... pretty much where Bush was 19 years ago.