How the former KGB agent and former US president compare

Watching Putin’s ruthless and unprovoked slaughter of Ukrainian citizens and his general modus operandi, I was struck by the real similarity of Putin and Trump.

Trust me, not your eyes

Putin: He says what we saw in Ukraine is nothing more than a military exercise aimed at Ukrainian military targets.

Trump: Don’t believe what you see reported in the mainstream media. Only I can tell you what you see and what you need to know.

Dealing with the media

Putin: He just shuts down all the reporting he doesn’t like. He threatens with prison those who report the truth.

Trump: He uses far-right media as his sole source of information dissemination. At rallies, he points the finger at “fake media” people and implicates threats to their health.

Subversion of elections

Putin: He has never lost an election because all Russian opponents are harassed, imprisoned or disappear.

Trump: Win or lose an election, Trump casts doubt on the Democratic voting process in advance. When he loses, he tries everything in his power – and out of his power – to overthrow the will of the people. And candidates who do not kneel before him receive a political death sentence.

Attack enemies

Putin: See the observations above and consider how Putin belittles, demonizes, and dehumanizes any person or country he sees as a threat. This makes it easier to justify their incarceration or elimination.

Trump: Like Putin, he demeans, demonizes and dehumanizes his critics and opponents. Democrats and the media he dislikes are “really bad people.” Because they’re “really bad people,” attacking them — physically or otherwise — isn’t just allowed, it’s encouraged. (He has previously said that, if re-elected, he plans to pursue Democratic leadership.)

profiteering autocrats

Putin: Possibly the richest man in the world, he takes what he wants without repercussion.

Trump: No POTUS has ever taken over office like Trump. Examples include: his entanglement with Russian investors, the use of his hotels for government functions and the diversion of “wall donations” to his legal defense fund.

Can you really compare a former KBG agent and a former President of the United States? Sure. Just done.

Roger Sakolove is a resident of Boynton Beach.