If you’re a fan of political drama (and let’s be honest, who isn’t?), you might’ve noticed that Donald Trump’s post-2016 political career feels eerily familiar — like a reboot of a show you’ve seen before, only set in a different country with slightly worse lighting and better cheeseburgers. And that’s because the moves Trump’s been pulling — from attacking the press to demanding loyalty oaths — have a whole lot in common with how Vladimir Putin consolidated power in Russia.

Now, to be fair, Putin plays at a much higher difficulty level — he was KGB, after all, and cut his teeth during the collapse of the Soviet Union, which was like surviving a bar fight where everyone had knives and vodka bottles. Trump? He’s more of a reality TV strongman who wandered into politics and realized the same tricks that worked on The Apprentice work on cable news. But the parallels are juicy, and they tell us a lot about how modern wannabe authoritarians build their empires.

Step 1: Pick a Target and Break Their Kneecaps (Legally, Of Course)

Putin’s Playbook:

The first thing Putin did when he took over in 2000 was look around and ask, “Who has power that isn’t me?” The answer: the oligarchs — the rich dudes who snatched up the juiciest chunks of the Soviet economy during the chaotic 1990s. Instead of just inviting them to a friendly brunch, Putin used the FSB (the modern KGB) to dig up dirt, plant dirt, or just make up dirt. Once the kompromat was ready, the prosecutors and tax police swooped in, and suddenly, guys who thought they were kings were sitting in prison cells or exile.

Trump’s Version:

Trump didn’t have an FSB (though some of his phone calls sure made it sound like he wanted one). But he did perfect the art of the personal smear campaign. From calling journalists “the enemy of the people” to threatening to sic the DOJ on his political rivals, Trump turned the federal government into a cudgel. And when the government wasn’t enough, there was always Twitter — a digital mob at his fingertips, ready to dox, harass, or threaten anyone who didn’t toe the line. Same goal: Make people afraid to cross you.

Step 2: Replace the Referees

Putin’s Playbook:

Courts? Check. Media? Check. Election officials? Check. Putin understood that controlling the levers of power meant controlling the people who call the shots when things get messy. Judges were replaced with loyalists, media outlets were either bought up by state-friendly billionaires or shut down outright, and election rules were rewritten to ensure no serious challenger could ever get real traction.

Trump’s Version:

Trump didn’t exactly rewrite the Constitution (though you know he thought about it), but he did go after the refs with gusto. The FBI, the DOJ, the intelligence community — all labeled part of a shadowy “deep state.” When that wasn’t enough, he pressured Republican governors and secretaries of state to literally overturn election results. And the court-packing game? Oh, he played that like a pro — over 200 federal judges installed, plus three Supreme Court justices. The goal wasn’t subtle: Make sure the refs are at least wearing your team’s jersey, even if they pretend to be neutral.

Step 3: Turn the Media Into a Propaganda Arm

Putin’s Playbook:

If you want to run a modern autocracy, you don’t just need tanks — you need TV channels. Putin’s Russia is a masterclass in manufactured reality, where state-run channels flood the airwaves with stories about brave Russian soldiers, evil Western plots, and why anyone who criticizes Putin is probably a CIA agent. Control the story, control the people.

Trump’s Version:

Fox News wasn’t state-owned, but Trump treated it like his personal PR firm. Hosts who fawned got exclusive interviews; those who questioned him got the cold shoulder. And when even Fox occasionally stepped out of line, Trump built his own echo chamber on platforms like Truth Social, while encouraging his base to abandon “mainstream media” altogether. Same logic as Putin: If you can’t control what they think, drown them in noise until they don’t know what to believe.

Step 4: Loyalty Over Competence

Putin’s Playbook:

Putin didn’t just want yes-men; he wanted yes-men with compromising files tucked neatly in the FSB archives. Whether it was ex-KGB buddies or pliant businessmen, Putin’s inner circle was built on absolute loyalty — and the understanding that crossing him meant ruin.

Trump’s Version:

From Cabinet members to personal lawyers, Trump’s bench was a revolving door of sycophants, family members, and folks who swore undying fealty on cable news. Experience? Optional. Obedience? Mandatory. And if you stepped out of line, you got a nickname, a nasty tweet, and a one-way ticket to MAGA exile.

Step 5: Turn the Law Into a Weapon (While Staying Above It)

Putin’s Playbook:

The Russian legal system isn’t about justice — it’s about selective enforcement. Putin’s allies can skim, bribe, and build palaces with impunity, while critics get investigated, prosecuted, or poisoned (sometimes all three). The law is just a tool to eliminate enemies and protect friends.

Trump’s Version:

Trump didn’t quite have control of the courts the way Putin does, but he certainly tried. From pressuring the DOJ to open investigations into rivals to insisting he had absolute immunity, Trump’s relationship with the law was purely transactional — something to wield when useful and ignore when inconvenient.

Different Countries, Same Instincts

At the end of the day, Putin and Trump are products of wildly different systems, but their instincts are eerily similar. Both men understand that democracy — the real, messy, rules-based kind — is an obstacle. They don’t want to govern within it; they want to hijack it. And while Putin’s Russia is further down the authoritarian road, Trump gave us a terrifying preview of just how fragile our own system can be when someone with a knack for manipulation gets their hands on the wheel.

Final Thought

The scariest part? It works. Not just in Russia, and not just with Trump. The authoritarian playbook is universal, and it thrives wherever people are scared, angry, and desperate for someone to blame. And once you’ve got a taste for that kind of power, why stop at just one term?