Stephen Fry has lashed out at the ‘cult of power’ currently consuming certain political administrations across the world. The actor and comic appeared on Laura Kuenssberg’s BBC panel on Sunday, and didn’t shy away from calling out ‘the shadow of fascism’.
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‘Bullies have risen to the top’ – Stephen Fry
Both Donald Trump and JD Vance came in for criticism from the former QI host. He first picked out the US president, and criticised him for his ‘bully-like behaviour’ and admiration for dictators like Vladimir Putin, lamenting that their type has ‘risen to to the top’:
“Sadly, the bullies have risen to the top. You have to remember the psychology of the bully at school. Bullies feast on the fears that they cause, and you now have to look at who Donald Trump admires – it’s Vladimir Putin and it’s Russia.”
“Who else does Trump admire? MSB in Saudi Arabia, Putin’s Russia, Lukashenko’s Belarus, Erdogan’s Turkey, Milei’s Argentina, Modi’s India, Netenyahu’s Israel. Places which are moving to fascism and nationalism” | Stephen Fry
Support for AfD branded ‘a real worry’
He further criticised the vice president, questioning why JD Vance had joined Elon Musk in encouraging Germans to vote for the AfD. Although the far-right party earned roughly 20% of the vote in Sunday’s elections, their path to power has all but eroded.
Despite this, the AfD have still made huge gains. They have been denounced as ‘neo-Nazis’ by their critics, and will occupy scores of seats in the Bundestag in this new administration. This, Stephen Fry suggests, is indicative of a shift towards fascism.
“I’m deeply worried by the darkening shadow that’s going over the world, the shadow we have to call fascism… it’s a cult of power. And power only speaks to power, and the worry is about the contempt Trump and Putin have for other politicians.”
“The likes of JD Vance and Elon Musk have pushed Germans to vote for the ultra-right AfD. So that’s a real worry and this is a desperate time. It’s fascism, and we have to realign ourselves in recognition that this is no longer the proper world.” | Stephen Fry