"thugs" is exactly right
It's an old truism that people reveal their true natures not when times are good, but when times are hard; and the behavior of the Right when they're out of power speaks volumes about what they really stand for. (Not that their behavior while in power is much better, just different.)
Sure, it infuriates rightwingers to be compared to Nazis. But when I see behavior like this, I can only say, methinks the wingers doth protest too much.