Rachel Maddow suggested that Donald Trump praises authoritarian leaders because he is offering a similar leadership style for the 2024 presidential election.
She explained that Trump’s appeal lies in his promise to end politics and provide a strongman leadership, which resonates with the Republican base.
Maddow said, “This is the special sauce.”
.@maddow: "This is the special sauce. Donald Trump is not leading the Republican Party and leading the Republican field because of his youthful vigor… What he's offering is strongman leadership, the end of politics, the end of elections." pic.twitter.com/dzht9VNz8D
— Inside with Jen Psaki (@InsideWithPsaki) January 23, 2024
“Donald Trump is not leading the Republican Party or leading the Republican field of candidates because of his youthful vigor or because of his policy preferences or because of his eloquence. None of that is going on,” she continued.
“What he is offering is what he both inherently offers, and now more and more explicitly offers, which is, ‘If you pick me, that will be the end of politics, and you won’t have to deal with politics anymore, you won’t have to deal with contested elections, you won’t have to deal with contests or divisions when it comes to power,’” she claimed.
“You’ll have a strongman leader and, ‘I’ll just do what I want, and won’t that be a lot simpler?’ That’s what he’s offering,” warned the host.
“That strongman model is what the Republican base is enthused about, and that is something that sets him apart from every other Republican candidate. And I think that we’re naive to think that he’s tricking people into picking him and then, ‘Surprise!’ he’s going to act like a dictator,” she exclaimed.
Maddow warned against underestimating Trump’s intentions, stating that he is selling the idea of being the sole leader, which many are eager to embrace.
