Rep. Gregory Meeks (D., N.Y.) said Thursday that President Donald Trump should rebuke Russian President Vladimir Putin for meddling in the 2016 election when they meet, but he added that Trump might not do so because he "wants to be like Mr. Putin."
Meeks said on CNN that Russia's interference in the election should prompt a frank reaction from Trump, who is set to meet Putin on Friday at the G-20 summit in Germany. Meeks speculated that Trump's past comments about Putin indicate an affinity for authoritarian leadership and control of the press.
"As he said in the campaign, I think he wants to be like Mr. Putin; he would like to shut down the press or have the state just run the press," Meeks said. "He would like to be more of an authoritarian-type president."
Meeks went on to say that Trump should project a different, pro-democracy image. He said that Trump should express clear support for democratic values that America shares with EU countries.
Accusing Trump of authoritarianism has become a frequent feature of the "resistance" against his administration. Since losing to Trump, Hillary Clinton has made clear references to him while she has warned against authoritarian leaders.
"When people in power invent their own facts and attack those who question them, it can mark the beginning of the end of a free society," Clinton said at Wellesley College's commencement. "That is not hyperbole. It is what authoritarian regimes throughout history have done."