Former New York Times columnist Paul Krugman is now reportedly facing criticism after suggesting that the United States should undergo a sweeping “de-MAGAfication” effort once President Donald Trump leaves office, drawing a direct comparison to Germany’s denazification process following World War II.
Krugman made the remarks in a video posted to YouTube on Sunday, where he argued that removing Trump from office would not be enough to prevent a future resurgence of the political movement associated with the president.
“We really need to do a thorough purging of the United States,” Krugman said. He went on to argue that the country needs what he described as a “de-MAGAfication,” adding that he was not exaggerating by using language similar to the “Denazification” process that took place in Germany after the Second World War.
The comparison immediately drew attention because of its historical weight. Germany’s postwar denazification campaign was implemented after one of the deadliest conflicts in human history, a war that left vast destruction across Europe and reshaped the modern world. Krugman nevertheless argued that the United States should pursue a comparable effort aimed at limiting the influence of Trump’s political movement.
According to Krugman, such a process would involve more than simply defeating Trump politically. He said that supporters of the president should be prevented from holding positions of power after Trump leaves the White House.
“We need to de-fang Trump as much as possible,” Krugman said, adding that it was “obvious” that Trump supporters should be blocked from positions of authority.
The economist and longtime liberal commentator also painted a bleak picture of the country under Trump, describing the current state of affairs as a “nightmare beyond even the worst fantasies.” He warned that unless Americans take additional steps beyond removing Trump from office, the political forces associated with the president could return in the future.
“If we don’t do something beyond just getting rid of Trump, it’s going to happen again,” Krugman warned.
The comments are consistent with Krugman’s long-running opposition to Trump. During his years as a columnist for The New York Times from 2000 through 2024, Krugman frequently criticized the president and his policies.
Ahead of the 2024 election, Krugman warned that Trump’s proposed tariff policies would “wreck” the economy. He later argued that tariffs imposed by Trump were “clearly illegal.”
Trump has repeatedly pushed back against Krugman’s criticism. In one response, the president referred to the economist as a “deranged BUM” and accused him of repeatedly predicting economic disaster during Trump’s time in office.
Trump argued that Krugman had been forecasting “Doom and Gloom” since the beginning of his presidency in 2017 and claimed those predictions had failed to materialize as financial markets continued to reach new highs.
“People stayed out of the ‘BEST MARKET IN HISTOY’ [sic] because of this Trump Deranged BUM,” Trump wrote. “Sue them!”
Krugman’s latest remarks are likely to fuel further debate over the political divide in America, particularly as critics and supporters of Trump continue to clash over the future direction of the country and the role his movement will play after his presidency ends.
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