Coalition of the Vile

Trump had a visitor at Mar-a-Lago last Friday–Viktor Orban, the Hungarian Prime Minister. Orban runs his country like a mob boss–he installs his cronies in high places (like the courts, arts organizations and the universities) and makes sure government funding goes only to people who kowtow to him and his views. He has rewritten the constitution, stacked the judiciary, and “tweaked” the electoral system to guarantee his continued dominance. He does this under the cover of Christian nationalism–turning fear of LGBTQ+ people and immigrants to his advantage. Once a liberal himself (as Trump was), Orban has realized that fear and distrust are sources of power, and that democracy is too fickle for the real autocrat. He is fond of the term “illiberal democracy” these days, which is creepily reminiscent of the old Soviet system.

This is the type of person Trump admires–a malignant strongman, an enemy of democracy, a thick-necked panderer. It must be like looking into a mirror.

—from my new book, Empire.