After being found guilty in his hush money case, Donald Trump criticized the US criminal justice system, making baseless claims of a “rigged” trial that echoed statements made by the Kremlin. Speaking from Trump Tower in New York, he stated: “If they can do this to me, they can do this to anyone.” Thousands of miles away, Russian President Vladimir Putin was likely “rubbing his hands with glee,” according to Fiona Hill, a former senior White House national security adviser who worked under Trump.
Trump’s criticisms could be beneficial for Putin and other autocrats looking to boost their standing among their own citizens, influence the upcoming US presidential election in which Trump is the presumptive Republican nominee, and undermine the United States’ global influence. In response, Moscow agreed with Trump’s assessment of the verdict and called it “the elimination of political rivals by all possible legal or illegal means.” Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban even referred to Trump as a “man of honor” and urged him to “keep on fighting.
Putin, who has long sought to create divisions within Western societies in order to promote a Russian worldview, is likely to view the latest turmoil as an opportunity. Since the invasion of Ukraine, and ahead of crucial elections throughout the West this year, Russia has been accused of carrying out multiple sabotage attacks and targeting dissidents abroad to stir up anxieties and cause discord.
Moscow was even accused of meddling in the 2016 US election that Trump won, by creating a troll factory, hacking Hillary Clinton’s campaign, spreading fake news, and attempting to influence Trump-connected officials. In this context, the current chaos within the United States could provide “perfect fodder” for another major propaganda and influence operation, according to Fiona Hill.
The attacks on the US justice system from Trump and his allies are likely to be used by Russia as a means of targeting swing voters in battleground states ahead of the November election. In doing so, these autocratic leaders may seek to discredit American institutions and ideals, such as democracy, free speech, and human rights, which have been promoted by US presidential administrations for generations.
As a result, Trump’s criticism of key democratic institutions could “legitimize” them in the eyes of their own people, according to Graeme Robertson, a political science professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The message to Chinese and Russian citizens watching the drama unfold in the US is that they are better off at home. Meanwhile, countries targeted by Russia and China for potential partnerships may be given the impression that Moscow and Beijing can offer more reliable alliances than the United States.
The threat from the “new axis of authoritarians,” including Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea, is “daunting” as these states work together with overlapping interests. This collaboration could lead to a fundamental reshaping of global security architecture since the end of the Cold War. Some Western governments are now caught in a delicate dance between not wanting to ostracize Trump as a potential next US president and the need to respect the U.S. justice system. Others, such as EU member Hungary, openly court him.
Ultimately, Putin sees the chaos caused by Trump’s criticism of the US justice system as an opportunity to create a mess that he can seek advantage from, according to Fiona Hill.
