Trump’s Cabinet Blitz Is Straight From Orban's Playbook
An expert in authoritarianism who has lived in both Russia and Hungary explains whose blueprint Trump might follow in his second term.
Presidential friend and idol?
Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg
Kim Lane Scheppele is a professor of sociology at Princeton University and a fellow at the University of Pennsylvania law school. She has lived in both Hungary and Russia, where she has studied the erosion of civil and constitutional rights and the rise of authoritarianism. Donald Trump has often noted his admiration for Russian leader Vladimir Putin, who has been in power for the duration of the 21st century, and Hungarian leader Viktor Orban, who has been in power since 2010. Trump, whose threat to democracy alarmed many members of his own administration, is poised to emulate these authoritarian leaders.
I spoke to Scheppele last week moments after Trump announced his nomination of Putin apologist Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence — an appointment that would be inconceivable by a pro-democracy president. Our conversation has been edited for clarity and length.