Jane Fonda says authoritarianism is in ‘every nook and cranny’ of Trump's government

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Actress and activist Jane Fonda warned that “authoritarianism” has crept into “every single nook and cranny” of the government, linking recent immigration enforcement actions to broader concerns about civil liberties.

Her comments come amid rising tensions over federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in Minnesota, which have sparked widespread protests following the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent and ongoing clashes between authorities and demonstrators.

Jane Fonda slams Trump's administration

During an appearance on 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' on Wednesday, January 21, Jane Fonda criticized the Trump administration’s actions, saying, “We pay their salaries. We should be in charge.”

She added that if the government fails to meet people’s needs, “there’s something wrong,” and warned that the country is facing unprecedented challenges.

"We should be in charge. If the government is not meeting the needs of its people, there’s something wrong, right? We’re seeing things happen that have never happened before. This isn’t like it was in the ’40s and ’50s. Authoritarianism has made its way into every single nook and cranny of our government,” Fonda said, citing what she described as abuses of power by immigration authorities.

Fonda referenced protests over federal ICE operations and the fatal shooting of Good in Minneapolis earlier this month, saying, “They are kidnapping people. They are illegally deporting American citizens.” She went on: “They’re shooting people, they’re blinding people, all kinds of really, really bad things are happening.”

Jane Fonda urges people to show 'we are the majority'

Jane Fonda emphasized that these issues are not about political parties but about morality, adding, “And it’s not a question of right or left. I don’t care what party you belong to; it’s a question of right or wrong. And I think lines are being crossed, and it’s enough."

Fonda urged Americans to unite and work together “in solidarity” with organizations and community groups to protect freedoms. She stressed the importance of organizing and supporting one another if federal authorities “come for you, and they will.”

“We can’t allow this to happen,” she said. “So let’s show that we are the land of the free. We are the majority. You know, tyrants are not as strong as they think they are.”

Jane Fonda and other entertainment industry figures revived the Committee for the First Amendment

Jane Fonda has long been known as an outspoken activist. Since the 1960s, she has protested the Vietnam War and championed civil rights and feminist causes.

Last year, Fonda and more than 600 figures from the entertainment industry revived the Committee for the First Amendment. The group was originally founded in the 1940s during what it called a “dark time when the federal government repressed and persecuted American citizens for their political beliefs.”

Fonda brought it back in response to the second Trump administration, comparing today’s political climate to the anticommunist trials led by former Sen Joseph McCarthy (R-Wisconsin) in the 1950s and the Jim Crow laws that enforced racial segregation in the South.

“This is different, and we should all be very scared, and the key is solidarity,” Fonda told CNN’s Dana Bash on 'Inside Politics' in October.