A letter in the Jan. 30 edition of The Leader that accused President Trump and Republicans of being fascist was totally off-base. The marriage of corporations and government that was pointed out as a key element of fascism was present in the “crony” capitalism of the Obama administration. We saw this in the green energy grants and subsidies as well as getting in bed with the healthcare insurers to define Obamacare. Also, Obama and Democrats used the Dodd-Frank law to help the big financial corporations by creating a government safety net known as “Too Big to Fail.” It is the Democrats who are colluding with the financial elite, not Trump. This type of government-private partnership is not being promoted by the Trump administration.   Another element of fascism is to use the police power of the state to control people. We saw this during the Obama administration as reporters were harassed and spied upon, the IRS used to thwart the efforts of conservative and religious groups and spying on members of the opposing party’s election campaign. Trump’s policies have improved the lives of most all citizens. The unemployment rates are the lowest in decades for all categories of workers. Wages are increasing for all workers, with some of the least skilled gaining the most.   Trump’s veterans’ policies have greatly improved the delivery of their health care. He is working to secure the U.S. borders to better protect all our citizens. He really cares about the people of our country. That is why he is called a “populist.” President Trump is following through on all his promises, unlike most other politicians. It is absolutely ludicrous to call President Trump or Republicans fascist. GENE FARR Port Townsend