The Despot's Apprentice: Donald Trump's Attack on Democracy by Brian Klaas

The Despot's Apprentice: Donald Trump's Attack on Democracy

by Brian Klaas

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Politics & Power

Eroding a democracy starts with eroding the truth, and Klaas finds despots' tactics all through Trump's first year: attacks on the press and judges, nepotism, moves against Mueller and admiration for autocrats. Trump isn't a full despot, in his view, and you can still save American democracy through mass civic mobilization.

Core ideas
  • Fake news as Lügenpresse: Klaas likens Trump's press attacks to the Nazi slur for a lying press, and cites polling that nearly half of Republicans believed Trump won the 2016 popular vote.
  • Family business: Ivanka Trump's White House role gets compared to Gulnara Karimova, daughter of Uzbekistan's dictator Islam Karimov.
  • Wide comparisons: Idi Amin, Erdoğan, Putin and Duterte sit alongside jailed opposition candidates in Madagascar, Zambia, Belarus and Tunisia.
Published2017
Pages324
ISBN9781510735859
ReadAug 2025

Connected to 5 other books

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