Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” The Washington Post’s Michael Gerson said Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is “now flirting with authoritarianism, praising the leadership style of Vladimir Putin.”

Gerson said, “It’s important to realize what context this was in. He was praising Vladimir Putin who is someone who has, you know, imprisoned and killed journalists. And this is where we need to make the distinction between the ridiculous and the dangerous. This is a man now flirting with authoritarianism, praising the leadership style of Vladimir Putin. So his divisive rhetoric, extreme policies and now he’s praising a leadership style that really flirts with authoritarianism. This is a serious, serious matter.”

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