Trump Pardons Despot, Elevates 'Art of the Deal'
Donald Trump, fresh from a Mar-a-Lago rendezvous with Hungary's Viktor Orbán, has reportedly exempted Hungary from Russia oil sanctions. The Financial Times frames this as a policy choice, without delving into the obvious 'Quid pro quo, where art thou?' of it all. This isn't groundbreaking; it's simply Trump's long-standing 'America First' policy, which often looks suspiciously like 'America for
Me, and My Despot Friends.' Orbán, a self-proclaimed 'illiberal democrat,' aligns perfectly with Trump's global vision of strongman rule disguised as national interest. One might wonder if the exemption was secured with a firm handshake or perhaps a promise to keep praising Trump's 'peace plan' for Ukraine. How many 'patriotic' leaders get to bypass global sanctions based on a golf course pow-wow?
It seems the 'rules-based international order' has an executive bypass lane, exclusively for those who pay the right kind of respect.