President Donald Trump could be heading towards a common trap for dictators with no return, an expert believes.
According to a recent YouGov poll, Donald Trump’s approval rating has dropped to an all-time low to just 34 %.
Now an expert raises concerns that the only direction for Trump from here might be down a well-documented path previously paved by the likes of Vladimir Putin and Benito Mussolini.
“I have seen this brand of strongman megalomania and the adverse effects it can ultimately have on leaders and their governments,” authoritarianism expert Ruth Ben-Ghiat wrote in the New York Times.
She describes a pattern where leaders remove themselves from advice and feedback from experts, and then “double down and engage in even riskier behavior.” They also surround themselves with ‘loyalists who praise them and party functionaries who repeat their lies.’
Trump doesn’t accept criticism well
Trump does have several documented clashes with media outlets and critics throughout his career and time in the office.
In September 2025, after ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live! following controversy surrounding comments Kimmel made about the shooting of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, Trump suggested television networks critical of him could face consequences.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One following a visit to the UK, Trump complained about what he described as overwhelmingly negative coverage.
