To call his supporters ‘conservatives’ is an insult to conservatives

Regarding the Globe’s front-page headline “Conservatives say Mueller must go’’ (April 11), it seems time to find a word less misleading than “conservatives’’ to describe Donald Trump’s supporters.

Yes, these so-called conservatives still support the massive increases in federal deficits resulting from tax cuts, which were the backbone of Reagan and Bush II economic policy, and are designed to cripple the federal government and give even greater power to the rich. And they support that other pillar of conservatism, antiabortion policy.

However, today’s “conservatives’’ supporting Trump have added something new that I believe would have been anathema to many conservatives in the past: attacks on democratic institutions rooted in the Constitution. These include attacks on the free press, an independent judiciary, the rule of law, and the voting process.

Moreover, the silence of an overwhelming number of conservatives on Trump’s lies and demagoguery enables him to continue to use bigotry to support his policies on immigration and to betray American values in bowing to Vladimir Putin and envying other autocrats. A better word than “conservative,’’ to describe Trump’s supporters, would be “fascist.’’

Robert G. Bill

Quincy

A moment right out of Mussolini

In Italy in 1924, fascist followers of Benito Mussolini murdered Giacomo Matteotti, a socialist member of the Italian Parliament who had complained about corruption in national elections. The passive response of Mussolini’s opponents emboldened him to take full responsibility for the deed and marked a turning point from a democratic to a fascist regime.

The Congress of the United States has reached a similar turning point. If the House of Representatives and Senate fail to support the inquiry of Robert Mueller into foreign interference in our electoral process, they will be complicit in driving the country farther down the road to fascism.

President Trump has already bragged that he could commit murder in public and get away with it. He will not do away with Mueller, but he will kill the rule of law by firing him. Have we any leaders willing and capable of preventing him from doing so? Should a criminal inquiry be halted because it makes a possible chief perpetrator uncomfortable? Shall we disappoint Ben Franklin and fail to keep our republic?

Marvin Swartz

Center Conway, N.H.

The writer is a professor emeritus of history at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Will heads roll?

Great piece by Annie Linskey and Astead W. Herndon.

How simple it is for conservatives: If Trump attorney Michael Cohen’s office gets raided by the FBI, fire Robert Mueller. “Shut it down,’’ says Tom Fitton, president of the conservative Judicial Watch. It reminds me of “Off with their heads!’’ in “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.’’

Jim Miranda

Belmont