In a fiery speech delivered to a packed New Hampshire stadium, former President Donald Trump strategically deployed quotes from authoritarian leaders to cast President Joe Biden in an authoritarian light, according to a report by Inquistr on Wednesday, December 20, 2023.
Drawing from POLITICO’s report on his speech, Trump seized upon Vladimir Putin’s alleged approval of Biden’s actions, stating, “Even Vladimir Putin… says that Biden’s politically motivated persecution of his political rival is very good for Russia because it shows the rottenness of the American political system, which cannot pretend to teach others about democracy.”
Trump, unapologetically, continued to showcase praise from other controversial figures, including Hungarian leader Viktor Orban and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un. Highlighting Orban’s endorsement, Trump declared, “Viktor Orbán, the highly respected prime minister of Hungary, said Trump is the man who can save the Western world.”
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Not stopping there, Trump emphasized his rapport with Kim Jong Un, describing him as “very nice” and hinting at a preference for his administration over the current one.
Throughout the address, Trump launched scathing criticisms at Biden, attributing numerous legal challenges to the current President and accusing the administration of using law enforcement as a tool for election interference. “Every time the radical left Democrats, Marxists, communists, and fascists indict me, I consider it a badge of honor—because I am being indicted for you,” Trump proclaimed, eliciting cheers from the fervent crowd.
Despite facing widespread criticism for his associations with authoritarian leaders, Trump’s rhetoric appears to strengthen his support base rather than diminish it, noted The Hill. Republicans, for the most part, either defended him or dismissed the comments as part of a media-driven narrative, offering minimal opposition.
Trump’s history of cultivating close ties with autocratic leaders, such as Kim Jong Un and Putin, during his White House tenure, has been well-documented. He openly praised these leaders and notably sided with Putin over his own intelligence agencies regarding Russian interference in the 2016 election.
His recent controversial statement about becoming a dictator “on day one” drew comparisons to past authoritarian leaders, though he later dismissed it as a joke on Truth Social after reiterating the remark at a New York event.
According to a former Trump White House staffer speaking to The Hill, the ensuing uproar and criticism serve to fortify Trump’s narrative of division, fostering an ‘us against them’ mentality that has been a hallmark of his political strategy.
