"Trump's Return to Power Likely Welcomed by Authoritarian Regimes like China and Russia"

Anne Applebaum, Prospects for Trump’s Second Term

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There is a prospect that former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate in the United States, returning to power could be good news for various dictatorships around the world.

Anne Applebaum, a historian and journalist from the U.S., appeared on Bloomberg News' podcast on the 29th (local time) and stated, "During former President Trump's term, things would be more personal and unpredictable."

Applebaum said, "The commonality between former President Trump and dictatorial countries is transactionalism." She pointed to countries with dictatorships such as Iran, Venezuela, Russia, and China, explaining, "They all reject Western democracy."

She continued, "These countries do not adhere to any ideology or set of values. Instead, they engage in transactions with each other," adding, "This is the same way former President Trump thinks."

Applebaum expressed concern that former President Trump's foreign policy might be driven by personal interests rather than the U.S. economy. She also said, "Former President Trump will be unpredictable and will not be challenged by those around him."

Additionally, Applebaum mentioned that the policies envisioned by JD Vance, the running mate of former President Trump and a senator, might be based on the interests of certain businessmen such as Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla.

She pointed out, "The policies they pursue might be good for the people involved, but could be really bad for everyone else." Nevertheless, she added, "I was surprised that this fact is not yet sufficiently recognized within the American business community."

Applebaum is the author of Gulag: A History, which sheds light on the history of forced labor camps in the former Soviet Union and won the Pulitzer Prize in 2004. She has also worked as a columnist for the progressive U.S. media outlet The Washington Post (WP).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.