Trump has embraced autocratic leaders without hesitation
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump congratulated Turkey’s president for sweeping up more power. Trump hailed Egypt’s strongman as a “fantastic guy.” When China’s president visited the United States, Trump cited a burgeoning friendship and made no public mention of Beijing’s dismal human rights record.
Since taking office, Trump has displayed a striking willingness to embrace autocrats as potential partners in his “America First” agenda, even if it means ignoring their heavy-handed tactics and repression at home. It’s a posture that Trump also took toward Russian President Vladimir Putin until a dispute over Syria led Trump last week to declare U.S.-Russian ties at an “all-time low.”
Trump is hardly the first U.S. president willing to look the other way in dealings with governments that flout democratic values. For decades, Republican and Democratic administrations have co-operated closely with Saudi Arabia and China. President Barack Obama opened new diplomatic channels with Iran and Cuba, despite concerns about their repressive rulers.
But rarely are U.S. presidents as warm and unabashed about their relationships with autocrats.