Is Trump America’s Putin?
As a former Moscow correspondent, I’ve seen how dictators operate – up close. I’ve watched the Kremlin thunder its satellites into submission and witnessed KGB agents seize protesters in an instant. Now, seeing Donald Trump criminally prosecute his political enemies, threaten free speech and TV broadcast licenses, move the military into U.S cities, and send masked agents on covert dragnets for immigrants, I feel like I’m back in Moscow watching Putin operate.
Not surprising, actually. Trump has long been captivated by Putin. First as a potential partner on what Trump imagined was a deal of deals, a massive hotel near Red Square. But more profoundly as a political model. Trump was so awed by Putin that when Putin was named Time’s Man of the Year in 2007, Trump sent the Russian leader a fawning note of adulation.
“Putin isn’t president of Russia, he’s the RULER,” Trump gushed to his long-time attorney and fixer Michael Cohen, as he prepared his first run for the White House. “He is THE DICTATOR, THE CZAR. He can do whatever he wants. He’s going to be leader for the duration of his life.”
In other words, Putin epitomized Trump’s dream.
And now that Trump is back in the White House, the parallels between Trump and Putin have emerged: Their shared hunger for infinite power. Their brash intent to change the world to fit their own reality. Their brutal vengeance against their domestic enemies. Their itch to use military force to quell resistance. Their dependence on a Big Lie to justify their aggressions. Their self-enrichment in power…and much more.
So if Trump is Putin’s clone, if Trump is America’s Putin, we need to dig deeper. Here’s the story:
Hedrick Smith, who conceived this website and is its principal writer and architect, is a Pulitzer Prize-winning former New York Times reporter and Emmy award-winning documentary producer for PBS and PBS FRONTLINE. 
