Give Trump “credit” for being consistent; he supported authoritarianism both at home and abroad. At home, he wanted to run the country the same way he ran the Trump Organization; abroad, he thought dictators were more reliable (and more fun) partners than democratic leaders. It was an unprecedented development in American politics.
If Trump is our next GOP president, we know we can expect more of the same. But what of the rest of his party, which supports the use of pro-democracy rhetoric abroad, while suppressing liberal democracy at home? How will they paper over the contradiction, and how will the rest of the G7 respond?
Let’s hope we don’t find out anytime soon.