Paths Magazine

---

January 18, 2025

By Oliver Giraud

“If you’re a killer, you’re a king”, this is what Donald Trump’s first role model used to tell him as a young man. Trump Sr., a successful real estate investor, and businessman believed that every man should be tough and merciless; Trump Sr. helped raise Trump, the man whom America would vote to be the 45th and 47th president. On November 6th, 2024, at around 4:30 a.m., the Presidential race was called. How did he win when Democrats were so confident? According to John Elliot, a Political Science professor at Kenyon, Trump ran a campaign of passion, fury, comedy, and terror. In other words, he ran presenting himself as a strong man. What is a strongman? According to National Public Radio, it is someone who presents democracy as weak and ineffectual. Someone who presents themselves as the only one who can save the nation, who has an instinct to win, and when they win, they must punish and humiliate their opponents. 

What does it mean for the United States to have a strong man as president? As we contemplate these questions, we must also consider the implications for our democracy and the future of our nation. What challenges lie ahead, and how will Trump’s presidency redefine America’s role on the global stage? 

During Trump’s reign, he praised world leaders such as Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, and more recently, applauded anti-democratic Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Orbán first came to power in 1988 until 2002. In 2010, he retook control of the government, its institutions, and its people. This Hungarian strongman is still in power and stops at nothing to get what he wants: he has spent tax dollars to silence the media, changed the constitution 13 times, and demonized his opposition. Orbán has called multiple states of emergency, allowing him to rule by decree with complete disregard for the rest of the government. Orbán is often called a champion of illiberal democracy by the media. To Trump, he is well-respected and strong. Moreover, Orbán and Trump are friends and are found to spend time together at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort. This friendship should raise significant concerns about the future of American democracy but is not scaring Americans. Maybe telling a little bit about Orbán and his dictatorship will change that?

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Orbán declared a state of emergency to exert control over the media and courts. Similarly, Trump expressed his desire to declare a state of emergency once back in office on his social media platform Truth Social.   

Trump claims that declaring a national emergency would grant him the power to begin to deport 11 million immigrants. To achieve this, he hopes to use the National Guard to process and transport detainees. Not only does a state of emergency make this possible but it also opens the gate to endless control and regulation from the Trump administration. To think what Trump may do is terrifying and disheartening, but let’s not get too ahead of ourselves. 

While Trump’s second term has not yet begun, we can examine those he has chosen for cabinet nominations, let’s look at Orbán’s decisions and maybe that will tell us a bit about Trump’s plan. In Hungary, Orbán appointed whomever he wanted, anyone loyal enough. For example, Orbán favored his son-in-law who received numerous state contracts to further his and his family’s wealth. It seems to be the same case in the new Trump administration. Elon Musk, a fierce Trump loyalist and significant campaign contributor, has become an advisor to Trump, sitting in on important conversations and meetings. Moreover, he has promised to lead a new Department of Government Efficiency, to eliminate whatever Trump and Musk deem unnecessary. Trump’s picks have been centered on loyalty, sometimes completely disregarding the candidate’s experience, like in the case of R.F.K. Jr., a vaccine denier and frequent disseminator of health misinformation, selected as Secretary of  Health and Human Services after dropping out of the 2024 election cycle and endorsing Trump. It seems that most of his choices for his cabinet are controversial in one way or another. Including his choice for Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, a Fox News host and American veteran with no experience in government, or his choice for the Office of Budget and Management, Russel T. Vought who helped create Project 2025, a  controversial conservative agenda that Trump previously denied having any affiliation with the “project.” Additionally, Vought was a huge influence on Trump during his last administration, helping him come up with the idea to declare a state of emergency to gain power over congressional matters. 

With such similar ideologies, administrations, and political strategies, we can expect the second Trump administration to mimic the authoritarian flavors of Orbán’s rule. Trump’s “strong man” leadership will have 4 years to prove itself, and evidently, the American people resonate with his message. 

Oliver Giraud can be reached at giraud1@kenyon.edu

---

• Mail
• Facebook
• Twitter

---