'Where's my favorite dictator?': a sourced catalog of Trump's affection for strongmen

People and organizations

Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, Xi Jinping, Viktor Orbán, Mohammed bin Salman, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Nayib Bukele, Marco Rubio, JD Vance

Places

United States, Russia, North Korea, China, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, El Salvador

Evidence label

Reporting — Original reporting by an identified news organization that we opened and dated. Investigative findings are attributed to the outlet, not asserted as adjudicated fact. More

What happened

The quotations below are drawn from wire-service and broadcast reporting of Trump's own words, in the order he said them, beginning with a 2018 rally in West Virginia [1].

Kim Jong Un, September 29, 2018. "We fell in love," Trump told a West Virginia rally, describing the "beautiful letters" Kim wrote him [1]. At the time, three senior US officials told Reuters no progress had been made toward serious negotiations to eliminate or halt North Korea's nuclear and missile programs, and Pyongyang had not provided an inventory of its weapons [1].

Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, August 2019. At the G7 in Biarritz, Trump looked around for the Egyptian president and asked, "Where's my favorite dictator?" according to the Wall Street Journal; the remark was met with stunned silence, and Trump went on to praise Sisi's work [2].

Vladimir Putin, February 22, 2022. The day after Putin recognized the breakaway regions of eastern Ukraine and sent in troops, Trump called the move "genius" and "savvy" and said Putin had "always wanted Ukraine" [9]. The full record of Trump's deference to Putin is in a companion story.

Nayib Bukele, March-April 2025. The administration deported Kilmar Abrego Garcia to El Salvador on March 15, 2025, despite a court order barring his removal there, and he was held in Bukele's CECOT mega-prison at the US government's request; the Justice Department called it an administrative error, and the Supreme Court ordered the government to facilitate his release [6]. PolitiFact found no evidence he was a terrorist and no court record of any conviction [6].

Mohammed bin Salman, May and November 2025. In Riyadh on May 13, Trump called the crown prince Saudi Arabia's "greatest representative," said "I like him too much," and told him the US was the "hottest country" except for Saudi Arabia [8]. At the White House on November 18, Trump said bin Salman "knew nothing" about the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, contradicting the US intelligence community's conclusion that the crown prince approved the capture or killing, and rebuked an ABC News reporter for asking a question that "embarrassed" his guest [7]. The visit advanced a $1 trillion investment pledge and the first US sale of F-35s to Saudi Arabia [7].

Viktor Orbán, November 2025 to April 2026. After a November 7, 2025 White House meeting in which Orbán said Trump granted Hungary a one-year exemption from US sanctions on Russian energy, Trump wrote on December 10 wishing Orbán luck in his campaign and praising his defense of "faith, family and sovereignty" [4]. Before the April 12, 2026 vote, Trump recorded a video for CPAC Hungary, Rubio and Vance endorsed Orbán, and senior officials traveled to Budapest on the eve of the election [3]. Former US ambassador David Pressman said Hungarian positions on issues like Ukraine seemed "filtered through US politics" [3].

Xi Jinping, May and September 2026. Trump visited Beijing in May and hosted Xi for a White House state dinner in September, calling it a "great honour" and saying the two countries had "never gotten along better"; the summit produced little on AI, Taiwan or Iran beyond a two-month extension of the existing trade deal [5]. Hours after a federal judge ordered the White House to restore CNN's and MS NOW's access, their reporters were turned away from covering Xi's arrival [5].

Why it matters

The praise is not incidental. It has come with policy: sanctions exemptions for Hungary, an F-35 sale and a silenced question for Saudi Arabia, a prison contract with El Salvador that landed a wrongly deported man in CECOT, and, in Russia's case, a peace plan drafted on Kremlin terms [4][7][6]. The AP described Trump's second-term involvement in foreign elections as unusually public, pairing endorsements with money: $20 billion for Argentina contingent on Javier Milei's coalition winning, a pardon for a Honduran ex-president convicted of drug trafficking as Hondurans voted, and a Homeland Security secretary telling Poles that US troop presence could depend on their choice [3].

The evidence

Each item above cites the contemporaneous report in which Trump's words appear. The intelligence finding on Khashoggi is described in both the CBC and ABC reports [7][8]. The Abrego Garcia timeline, including the Supreme Court's April 10, 2025 order, is from PolitiFact [6].

Response and counterpoints

Trump and his aides argue that personal rapport with difficult leaders is how deals get done, and they point to outcomes: the 2018 Singapore summit, the Saudi investment pledge, Chinese rare-earth sales, and Hungary's cooperation on migration [1][7][5][4]. The White House says Trump "will speak to or work with anyone" and that his endorsements are transparent [3]. On Khashoggi, bin Salman denied ordering the operation while accepting responsibility as de facto ruler [7].

What remains uncertain

Whether Sisi heard the "favorite dictator" remark is unclear [2]. Orbán's claim of a $20 billion US financial backstop was dismissed by Trump, and the status of any assistance is unresolved [4]. This catalog covers leaders the cited reporting itself describes as authoritarian or as subjects of adverse US intelligence findings; it does not attempt to rank them.

Money and method

The $1 trillion Saudi pledge is an announced target without details or a timetable [7]. The $20 billion for Argentina is reported as finalized US support for Argentina's financial markets, conditioned publicly by Trump on an election outcome [3].

Sources cited

1. [1]
   'We fell in love': Trump swoons over letters from North Korea's Kim — Reuters, 2018-09-30.

   supports · Paragraphs 1-5 (West Virginia rally, Sept. 29, 2018: 'we fell in love'; Kim 'wrote me beautiful letters'); paragraphs 9-11 (North Korea had not provided an inventory or taken irreversible steps; three senior officials: no progress toward serious negotiations) · checked 2026-10-26 · source N-strong-01
2. [2]
   Trump reportedly asked 'Where's my favorite dictator?' at G7 — Axios, 2019-09-13.

   supports · Paragraphs 1-2 (at the 2019 G7 in Biarritz, Trump asked 'Where's my favorite dictator?' looking for el-Sisi, per the Wall Street Journal; 'stunned silence'; Trump then praised Sisi's work) · checked 2026-10-26 · source N-strong-02
3. [3]
   Trump likes to back winners in foreign elections. The upcoming vote in Hungary will test his clout — Associated Press, 2026-04-11.

   supports · Paragraphs 1-3 and 7 (Trump and senior officials promoted Orbán's reelection via social media and a Budapest trip on the eve of the April 12, 2026 vote; $20 billion for Argentina conditioned on Milei's coalition; backing Asfura in Honduras and pardoning Hernández); paragraphs 13-14 and 20-22 (Noem in Warsaw tied US troop presence to the Polish vote; Trump video to CPAC Hungary; Rubio and Vance endorsed Orbán) · checked 2026-10-26 · source N-strong-03
4. [4]
   Trump wishes 'best of luck' to Hungary's Orban in election campaign — Reuters, 2026-01-09.

   supports · Paragraphs 1-4 (Trump letter of Dec. 10, 2025 wishing Orbán luck, praising his leadership and defense of 'faith, family and sovereignty'); paragraph 2 (Nov. 7, 2025 White House meeting; one-year exemption from US sanctions on Russian energy); paragraph 7 (Trump dismissed Orbán's $20 billion claim) · checked 2026-10-26 · source N-strong-04
5. [5]
   Xi Jinping tells state dinner US and China share goals but must act responsibly — ABC News (Australia), 2026-09-25.

   supports · Paragraphs 1-2 and 9-12 (White House state dinner for Xi, Sept. 2026; Trump: 'great honour'; Trump's May visit to Beijing; little breakthrough on AI, Taiwan or Iran); paragraphs 3-7 (CNN and MS NOW turned away hours after a federal judge ordered access restored); paragraphs 21-30 (Orville Schell: few accomplishments; trade deal extended two months) · checked 2026-10-26 · source N-strong-05
6. [6]
   Fact-checking Nayib Bukele and Trump officials on Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia's deportation — PolitiFact, 2025-04-14.

   supports · 'If your time is short' and Bukele section (Abrego Garcia deported March 15, 2025 despite withholding-of-removal protection; DOJ called it an administrative error; held at CECOT at the US government's request; no evidence he was a terrorist); Supreme Court section (April 10, 2025 order to facilitate his release) · checked 2026-10-26 · source N-strong-06
7. [7]
   Saudi crown prince MBS unaware of Khashoggi killing, Trump says in White House visit — CBC News, 2025-11-18.

   supports · Paragraphs 1-6 (Nov. 18, 2025: Trump says MBS 'knew nothing' about Khashoggi's murder; US intelligence concluded he approved the capture or killing; Trump rebukes ABC reporter for 'embarrassing' the guest); paragraphs 17-20 ($1 trillion investment pledge; F-35 sale) · checked 2026-10-26 · source N-strong-07
8. [8]
   Trump heaps praise on Saudi Crown Prince MBS as he touts economic development — ABC News, 2025-05-13.

   supports · Paragraphs 1-3 and 6-13 (Riyadh, May 13, 2025: Trump calls MBS Saudi Arabia's 'greatest representative,' says he likes him 'too much,' and that the US is the 'hottest country' except Saudi Arabia; announces end of Syria sanctions at Saudi and Turkish request); paragraph 2 (intelligence report concluded MBS approved Khashoggi's assassination) · checked 2026-10-26 · source N-strong-08
9. [9]
   Trump calls Putin 'genius' and 'savvy' for Ukraine invasion — Politico, 2022-02-23.

   supports · Paragraphs 1-3 and 7-8 (Feb. 22, 2022: Trump calls Putin's move on Ukraine 'genius' and 'savvy'; says Putin 'always wanted Ukraine') · checked 2026-10-26 · source N-strong-09