The Despots Apprentice
Donald Trumps Attack on Democracy

An exUS campaign advisor who has sat with the worlds dictators explains Donald Trumps increasingly authoritarian tactics and the threat they pose to American democracy.Donald Trump isnt a despot. But he is increasingly acting like the despots apprentice, an understudy in authoritarian tactics that threaten to erode American democracy, includingattacking the press,threatening rule of law by firing those who investigate his alleged wrongdoings,using nepotism to staff the White House, andcountless other techniques.Donald Trump is borrowing tactics from the worlds dictators and despots. Trumps fascination for the military, his obsession with his own cult of personality, and his deliberate campaign to blur the line between fact and falsehood are nothing new to the world of despots. But they are new to the United States. With each authoritarian tactic or tweet, Trump poses a unique threat to democratic government in the worlds most powerful democracy.At the same time, Trumps apprenticeship has serious consequences beyond the United States. His bizarre adoration and idolization of despotic strongmen?from Russias Putin, to Turkeys Erdogan, or to the Philippines Duterte?has transformed American foreign policy into a powerful cheerleader for some of the worlds worst regimes.The Despots Apprentice: Donald Trumps Attack on Democracy explores how Trump uniquely threatens democracy?and how to save it from him.