Trump Echoes Putin's Condemnation of American Democracy, Embraces Autocrats

During a presidential campaign rally, Republican polling leader Donald Trump quoted autocrats Vladimir Putin and Viktor Orban, praising their views on American democracy and deflecting from his own criminal prosecutions. Trump's speech also included dehumanizing language targeting immigrants and referred to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol as "hostages." Experts and political opponents have expressed concern about Trump's rhetoric and its parallels to authoritarian leaders. Trump's remarks drew criticism from Democrats, who warned of the dangers of his agenda if he were to regain power.