Speaker(s): Dr Brian Klaas | Donald Trump isn't a despot. But he is increasingly acting like a despot's apprentice. An expert on authoritarianism, Brian Klaas is well placed to recognise the warning signs of tyranny. He argues forcefully that with every autocratic tactic or tweet, Trump further erodes democratic norms in the world's most powerful democracy. Brian Klaas (@brianklaas) is Fellow in Comparative Politics, Department of Government, LSE and author of The Despot's Apprentice: Donald Trump's Attack on Democracy. Jonathan Hopkin (@jrhopkin) is Associate Professor of Comparative Politics, Department of Government, LSE and author of Party Formation and Democratic Transition in Spain as well as numerous journal articles on democratic institutions and political economy in Europe. The Department of Government (@LSEGovernment) at LSE is one of the largest political science departments in the UK. Our activities cover a comprehensive range of approaches to the study of politics.