By what right does the government rule? In the end, there are only two answers to that question. In a liberal system, legitimate power flows upward from the people, as expressed in open and fair elections. The other possibility is God, as expressed through conquest, revelation, miracles, or by genetic inheritance from someone who received one of the above-listed signs of God’s favor. The Taliban, who (in their eyes) won power by following God’s will, and who openly reject democracy, are an excellent example of the latter group.
If you’re Viktor Orban, or some other supporter of illiberal democracy, you have a problem, because you are stuck in between. You may well believe that your power comes from God, and that any government that does not reflect God’s will (as you interpret it) is illegitimate, but you probably don’t have the nerve to say that in public in 2021. The “solution” is to throw red meat to the faithful and rig the system, while pretending to adhere to the concept of popular sovereignty. That is what Orban does, and that is why Donald Trump is such a danger to our system, in spite of his innumerable personal shortcomings.