During the first debates Trump sidestepped requests to deny racism (blog). His final answer was “Proud Boys, stand back and stand by. But I’ll tell you what: Somebody’s got to do something about antifa and the left.” Most people deem this to be a renunciation of the Proud Boys, an international, male only, white supremacist group. In a later interview he did denounce racism. The Donald’s attempt to divert attention away from the question by mentioning leftists was obvious and painfully juvenile.

Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer, has interpreted this differently. He brings up the idea that Trump considers them to be his personal army (CNN). It’s an interesting take. Ordering them to “stand down” and their subsequent adherence to his request (order) could be indicative of Cohen’s claim.

This reminds me of the Night Wolves, Putin’s biker army. They patrol around to intimidate peoples of the Baltic States. The Crimea, Odessa and other places the Russians have invaded have Night Wolf chapters. They have fought as militiamen with Russian forces and have conducted acts of sabotage and violence as part of Putin’s expansionist plan.

That brings us to the question; is Trump so much like Putin he’s willing to stoop to strong arm tactics? Has American democracy been so corroded by fascist mind waves it’s leader is now nothing but a demagogue bent on becoming “president for life.” Is our great nation starting to resemble a third world dictatorship? Does a president of the greatest democracy the world has ever seen really need a personal army?