This is *Trump’s True Crimes – Episode 81: Undermining Democracy Abroad.*

The President of the United States is meant to be the world’s leading defender of democracy. But during Donald Trump’s time in office, he often sided not with democratic allies, but with authoritarian strongmen.

Trump praised Vladimir Putin, calling him a genius and denying U.S. intelligence reports about Russian election interference. He echoed the Kremlin’s propaganda while undermining America’s allies in NATO. He even withheld military aid to Ukraine in an attempt to pressure its government into investigating Joe Biden — a move so corrupt it led to his first impeachment.

But Russia wasn’t the only regime Trump cozied up to. He fell “in love,” as he put it, with North Korea’s dictator Kim Jong Un. He praised China’s Xi Jinping and Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. And he turned a blind eye to Saudi Arabia after journalist Jamal Khashoggi was brutally murdered, because U.S. arms deals and Jared Kushner’s personal ties to the Saudi royals mattered more than human rights.

At every turn, Trump weakened America’s moral authority abroad. He treated autocrats with admiration, while insulting democratic leaders in Europe and Canada. He pulled out of agreements designed to strengthen global security, and in doing so, emboldened the very regimes that want to see democracy fail.

This wasn’t just reckless diplomacy. It was part of a pattern: undermine alliances, empower dictators, and make the world less safe — all while America’s enemies benefited.

Join us next time on *Trump’s True Crimes* for Episode 82: *Gag Orders Violated.*