The Soapbox

CMUHoo

Joined: 09/19/2008 Posts: 3846
Likes: 6800


Kelly and Bolton weigh in on Trump's love of autocrats (link)


Some quotes from the linked article:
"To Donald Trump, Hungarian strongman Viktor Orbán is “fantastic,” Chinese leader Xi Jinping is “brilliant,” North Korea’s Kim Jong Un is “an OK guy,” and, most alarmingly, he allegedly said Adolf Hitler “did some good things,” a worldview that would reverse decades-old US foreign policy in a second term should he win November’s presidential election, multiple former senior advisers told CNN.

“He thought Putin was an OK guy and Kim was an OK guy — that we had pushed North Korea into a corner,” retired Gen. John Kelly, who served as Trump’s chief of staff, told me. “To him, it was like we were goading these guys. ‘If we didn’t have NATO, then Putin wouldn’t be doing these things.’”

Trump’s lavish praise for Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán while hosting him at Mar-a-Lago on Friday, just days after all but sealing the Republican nomination on Super Tuesday, shows it’s a worldview he’s doubling down on.

“There’s nobody that’s better, smarter or a better leader than Viktor Orbán,” Trump said, adding, “He’s the boss and he’s a great leader, fantastic leader. In Europe and around the world, they respect him.” "

" “He views himself as a big guy,” John Bolton, who served as national security adviser under Trump, told me. “He likes dealing with other big guys, and big guys like Erdogan in Turkey get to put people in jail and you don’t have to ask anybody’s permission. He kind of likes that.”

“He’s not a tough guy by any means, but in fact quite the opposite,” Kelly said. “But that’s how he envisions himself.” "

" Trump’s affinity for authoritarians represents a defining issue for the US as the 2024 election approaches. Several of his own former advisers believe, in a second term, he would bring a fundamental shift in the US’ vision of itself and its role in the world, including potentially pulling the US out of NATO and reducing the US’ commitment to other defense alliances.

“NATO would be in real jeopardy,” Bolton told me. “I think he would try to get out.”

Many veterans of the Trump administration have a similar warning for Ukraine as it battles Russia’s invasion. “US support for Ukraine would end,” said a senior US official who served under Trump and Biden.

“The point is, he saw absolutely no point in NATO,” Kelly said. “He was just dead set against having troops in South Korea, again, a deterrent force, or having troops in Japan, a deterrent force.” "

Link: CNN


Posted: 03/11/2024 at 1:40PM



+4

Insert a Link

Enter the title of the link here:


Enter the full web address of the link here -- include the "http://" part:


Current Thread:
  Be afraid very afraid -- TomKazanski 03/11/2024 1:50PM
  Of traitors in the Republican party? Yes, definitely. ** -- Seattle .Hoo 03/11/2024 4:17PM
  That’s your response?! ** -- HoodatB 03/11/2024 2:11PM
  Funny how all the attacks started after that “weak” -- TomKazanski 03/11/2024 5:46PM
  Yes I am fine if we withdraw our troops from Japan -- TomKazanski 03/11/2024 2:51PM
  He doesn’t know what he doesn’t know. ** -- SixerHoo 03/11/2024 4:15PM
  FAFO, 💩for brains** -- WaxHoo 03/11/2024 1:52PM
  Simmer down 💩 your pants. ** -- Hoodafan 03/11/2024 1:59PM
  Go back where you came from, Fascist traitor** -- WaxHoo 03/11/2024 2:04PM

Notice: Trying to get property 'queue' of non-object in /data/www/sportswar.com/wp-includes/script-loader.php on line 2781

Warning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in /data/www/sportswar.com/wp-includes/script-loader.php on line 2781
vm307