1. United States
2. Ohio
3. Letter

At a White House event last week, Donald Trump asked Ilham Aliyev, the president of Azerbaijan, how long he’s been in power. Aliyev, who’s long been repeatedly accused by international observers of being a dictator, replied, “It’s been 22 years.” The American president, clearly impressed, said, “Twenty-two years, that’s pretty good.” At that point, Trump turned to attendees and added, “That means he’s tough and smart.” It was a timely reminder: The Republican doesn’t admire dictators despite their despotism, he admires them because of their despotism. For those concerned about Trump’s authoritarian ambitions, it’s obviously been a rough year, but it’s also been an especially rough week. In recent days, the American president has militarized the nation’s capital, voiced interest in circumventing Congress (again), and exerted control over private businesses, museums and cultural institutions. We shouldn't be here. Trump's dictatorial ambitions should have been stopped by you long ago. You are an enabler.