PHIL MAXWELL

I first published this photomontage in January 2017, on the day hundreds gathered in Liverpool to protest the inauguration of Donald Trump. In the fading light, people assembled on the steps of Lime Street Station to express their abhorrence. That day, the most powerful office on Earth was transferred to a man who promised to build a giant wall along the Mexican border, deport 11 million “illegal” immigrants, and introduce “extreme vetting” for Muslims entering the United States.

Trump has a long history of racist and misogynistic statements. He has said that “laziness is a trait in blacks,” described Mexican immigrants as “criminals” and “rapists,” and condoned the beating of a Black Lives Matter activist at one of his rallies. He has argued that women should be “punished” for having abortions and chillingly downplayed sexual violence by dismissing boasts of sexual assault as “locker room talk.” He was also a close associate of the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

Since January 2017, things have worsened. Under the Trump administration, undocumented immigrants are routinely portrayed as criminals, invaders, or existential threats. Nazi Germany similarly framed social problems around internal enemies—Jews, communists, immigrants. In this context, ICE plays a central role: large-scale raids, detention, and deportations are made highly visible as symbols of “restoring order,” reinforcing an us-versus-them narrative. Trump strengthens his political power by blaming vulnerable groups for national decline.

Hitler emphasised national rebirth, cultural purity, and harsh enforcement. Trump emphasises “America First,” strong borders, and aggressive policing. ICE is repeatedly framed as a frontline defence of national sovereignty, echoing the way Nazi institutions were used to project state strength and discipline.

Trump is adept at using fear as a political tool. Likewise, the Nazis exploited fears of crime, chaos, and cultural collapse to justify extraordinary measures. Trump regularly amplifies crisis narratives at the border, often overstating or selectively presenting data. ICE operations are publicised in ways that heighten fear and signal control.

The photomontage includes a framed image of a nuclear explosion. This reflects the Doomsday Clock—maintained by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists—being set to 85 seconds to midnight, the closest it has ever been to catastrophe. There has also been discussion and media reporting about the Trump administration considering the first U.S. nuclear test in decades. Experts warn that resuming nuclear testing could prompt other nuclear states to follow suit, weakening the global taboo and accelerating an arms race.

When this work was first published, it was criticised for “overreacting” to Trump. As then, I make no apologies. So why are both Trump and Hitler depicted reading the Daily Mail?

In 1934, the Daily Mail ran the now-infamous headline “Hurrah for the Blackshirts!”, praising Oswald Mosley’s British Union of Fascists, openly inspired by Mussolini and Hitler. Its owner, Lord Rothermere, privately corresponded with Hitler, expressing admiration for aspects of Nazi policy.

Today, the Daily Mail is owned by Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT), which was taken private by its controlling shareholder, the Rothermere family. The company is chaired by Jonathan Harmsworth, 4th Viscount Rothermere, a descendant of the paper’s founders. The newspaper has been controlled for more than a century by the Rothermere (Harmsworth) family, whose politics have historically been anti-socialist, anti-union, and nationalist.

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