I agree with McCain, and as an American, I’m proud he said it.
But- he’s wrong, and in criticizing Trump, we shouldn’t go so far as to forget our history. We have congratulated dictators for winning sham elections, and I can offer plenty of examples, like Ferdinand Marcos and Diem. We have congratulated other dictators for simply doing away with elections altogether, and I can offer plenty of examples of that such as the Shah of Iran or the President of Zaire. McCain is right that we should never do this, but let’s not pretend that Trump isn’t part of a long and sordid tradition. It’s just that Trump is more blatant and less subtle about it.