Trump, autocrat ?
Trump is not Hitler, and it must be recognized that Americans are far less inclined to support an authoritarian leader than Germans were towards Hitler. The United States is too decentralized and diverse for a dictator to truly gain a hold. Certainly, Trump aspires to a position of autocrat and benefits from the support of certain allies he has placed in high places to achieve this, but this support is wielded by fools.
Above all, Trump loves being himself: he relishes being constantly in the spotlight, at the center of discussions. To this end, he doesn’t hesitate to adopt eccentric behaviors and utter remarks that are, to say the least, surprising. One might even compare him more to Mussolini than to Hitler. He embodies a kind of theatrical autocrat. That said, that doesn’t mean he’s not dangerous. His strategy of permanent chaos is always risky and can have serious consequences. However, it’s clear that resistance is important and that he eventually gives in under pressure… before attempting a new approach.
(Personally, the fact that he constantly occupies a part of my mind is starting to weigh on me.)
As Michael Wolff writes (I’m translating):
He is a person not like you or I or anyone any of us have ever known. Whatever psychopathology he is engaged in, politics is at best only a small part of it. The larger mission is some projection of self, some ultimate act of defiance, some war with the gods, in which he could hardly care less about the future of the Republican party, or any given policies, or his own reputation, or even his own ultimate fate. He has been given this moment: four years which wholly belong to him, without even having to fear another judgement by the voters.
In other words, Trump doesn’t really seem concerned with policy, which, let’s face it, is hardly compatible with the ambition of establishing an autocratic regime. His primary interest seems to revolve around himself and his image. As enthusiastic promoters of autocracy, he and his inner circle demonstrate surprising incompetence.