It is clear that US President Donald Trump values and considers as reliable interlocutors strong and authoritarian leaders who have no particular sensitivities for human rights, principles and rules.
This is confirmed by his attitude toward the leaders of a series of authoritarian regimes such as Xi Jinping of China, Vladimir Putin of Russia, Kim Jong Un of North Korea, but also “tough” leaders of democracies such as Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel or Viktor Orban, who served as prime minister of Hungary for a total of 20 years. This category also includes, of course, Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The respect that the American president has for his Turkish counterpart is expressed at every opportunity. He also states publicly that what he values in Erdogan and in the aforementioned leaders is that they have strong personalities and tough characters.
Alternatively, he sees the leaders of most European countries as well as Canada as weak and indecisive politicians who put forward values and principles, are consumed by endless theoretical discussions and repeated consultations that often end in deadlock, and do not take the tough measures that, in his opinion, the circumstances require.
