Donald Trump isn't a despot. But he is increasingly acting like a despot's apprentice. Whether it's attacking the press, threatening rule of law by firing those who investigate his alleged wrongdoings, or using nepotism to staff the White House, Donald Trump is borrowing moves from the world's dictators. Brian Klaas, an expert on despots and democratisation, is well placed to recognise these symptoms of a study in despotism: Trump's fascination for the military, his obsession with his own personality cult, and his deliberate campaign to blur the line between fact and falsehood are well known to him. But they are new to the United States. With every authoritarian tactic or tweet, Trump further erodes democratic government in the world's most powerful democracy. This book is an urgent exploration of the unique threat that Trump poses to global democracy - and how to save it from him.