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[A] primer on the threat to democracy posed byand I cant believe Im saying thisthe current president of the United States.
David Litt, New York Times bestselling author

Donald Trump isnt a despot. But he is increasingly acting like The Despots Apprentice, an understudy in authoritarian tactics that threaten to erode American democracy, including:

Attacking the press

Threatening rule of law by firing those who investigate his alleged wrongdoings

Using nepotism to staff the White House

and countless other techniques

Donald Trump is borrowing tactics from the worlds dictators and despots. Trumps fascination with the military, his obsession with his own cult of personality, and his deliberate campaign to blur the line between fact and falsehood are nothing new to the world of despots. But they are new to the United States. With each authoritarian tactic or tweet, Trump poses a unique threat to democratic government in the worlds most powerful democracy.

At the same time, Trumps apprenticeship has serious consequences beyond the United States. His bizarre adoration and idolization of despotic strongmenfrom Russias Putin, to Turkeys Erdogan, or to the Philippines Dutertehas transformed American foreign policy into a powerful cheerleader for some of the worlds worst regimes.

In The Despots Apprentice, an ex-US campaign advisor who has sat with the worlds dictators explains Donald Trumps increasingly authoritarian tactics and how Trump uniquely threatens American democracy... and how to save it from him.