Authoritarianism expert Ruth Ben-Ghiat on Thursday issued a pointed warning in response to State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce’s latest praise of President Donald Trump.
Ben-Ghiat, author of “Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present,” reposted footage of Bruce commending Trump’s deal-making skills with a four-word caution on X (formerly Twitter): “Authoritarian leader cult alert.”
In the clip, Bruce also suggested Trump’s “attitude” should serve as “the north star, if you will, of what’s possible here” in terms of brokering a truce between Israel and Iran.
It’s not the first time Bruce has lavished praise on the president.
She’s previously described Trump as “very honest” and “transparent,” and has hailed “the power of his personality and leadership.”
Ben-Ghiat, meanwhile, has long warned of Trump’s authoritarian instincts, describing his approach to his presidency as a form of “personalist rule.”
“It’s a type of authoritarianism where you have a very strong one person,” she explained late last year. “The purpose of the party — and ultimately the government — is to solve the legal and financial and other problems of the leader. So everybody becomes a personal tool to the leader. That’s what is happening now. Everybody is folding to his will.”