I have to disagree. What you say might partly explain the MAGA view of Putin and Ukraine, but clearly Trump has shown respect for Putin and has admired other strong men. This does seem to appeal to the MAGA GOP.

Oh, sure - Trump has always personally been more favorably inclined towards Putin, moreso than others in his party. Strongmen fit the prototype of what Trump thinks a national leader "ought" to look like.

But I think that attitudes towards Ukraine among the broader party and the MAGA base were also significantly affected by hostility and suspicion towards Ukraine, not just affection towards Russia or Putin. And Trump as well, I'm sure - given his transactional approach to politics and his propensity to hold grudges towards folks he doesn't perceive as being sufficiently on his team, he almost certainly dislikes Zelenskyy for refusing to help him out after his "perfect phone call." An attitude that almost certainly hardened when he was impeached over the whole thing. Ukraine and Zelenskyy were on the Trump/MAGA sh!t list well before the invasion.

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