Death of a Nation was released in the United States on August 3, 2018, received strongly negative reviews and grossed $5.9 million.

[8][9] Owen Gleiberman of Variety said, "D'Souza's bogus conflation of liberalism and Nazism is really his way of denying the white-supremacist appeal that runs right down the middle of the Trump presidency.

D'Souza said the basis for his documentary were the books Hitler's American Model: The United States and the Making of Nazi Race Law by James Whitman, and Racism: A Short History by George M.

[17] Figures in attendance included D'Souza, his wife and executive producer Debbie D'Souza, co-producer Aaron Brubaker, conservative political commentator Tomi Lahren, and political candidate Antonio Sabàto Jr.[19] The political documentary premiered in Washington, D.C., on August 1, 2018, being co-hosted by D'Souza and President Donald Trump's son Donald Trump Jr. Also in attendance were United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson, former sheriff David Clarke, reporter Lee Stranahan, alt-right internet troll and conspiracy theorist Jack Posobiec, and former Deputy Assistant to the President Sebastian Gorka.

[23] Death of a Nation was released alongside Christopher Robin, The Spy Who Dumped Me, and The Darkest Minds, and was projected to gross around $3 million in its opening weekend.

They said it spoke to their deep-seated fears about the fate of the country if Democrats prevail in the November midterms, and did so using the raw, flame-throwing rhetoric that, to them, signals a Trump-like authority and authenticity.

[31] The Texas Patriots PAC mailed discs to undecided voters ahead of the United States midterm elections on November 6, 2018.

Hennigan said, "Some critics questioned whether they should be giving any space to the filmmaker's right-wing guff in praise of Trump and off-the-screen rants against liberals.

[36] Owen Gleiberman, reviewing for Variety, said, "Dinesh D'Souza goes over the top—of hate, and of truth—in his latest documentary, a radical-right screed that equates liberalism with Nazism."

Gleiberman compared the film to D'Souza's previous documentaries, stating: "Death of a Nation breaks through to a whole new slime-o-sphere of over-the-top ideological libel.

Club gave the film a grade of F, writing: "D'Souza fails, as ever, to make an argument that would resonate outside the QAnon echo chamber.

"[37] Adam Graham of The Detroit News gave the film a grade of D−, writing: "D'Souza quotes Hitler (played by Pavel Kríz) in one scene as saying, "if you tell a big enough lie and tell it frequently enough, it will be believed."

Scheck also found the film to have "many poorly staged, cheesy historical reenactments featuring actors who wouldn't pass muster at a small-town dinner theater".

Goodykoontz said he gave D'Souza's 2016: Obama's America "a somewhat positive review" based on craft and despite "live-action recreations that are laughably inept" and a lack of narrative flow.

President Donald Trump won for Worst Actor based on clips of him appearing in Death of a Nation and Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 11/9.

Death of a Nation was nominated for Worst Remake, Rip-off or Sequel, being connected with D'Souza's previous film Hillary's America.

"[40] Historian Robert Paxton, who appears in the documentary, said he was interviewed under false pretenses and had his confirmation of Mussolini and Hitler's welfare programs shared without context.

Mic reported, "[Paxton] forcefully pushed against the idea that fascism is a feature of progressive ideology, explaining that while fascists of the 20th Century often used leftist rhetoric and appeals, they went on to betray those principles in favor of corporatism and conservative elite."