Trump’s open admiration of anti-­democratic strongmen breaks with decades of diplomatic precedent and comes at a time when the administration is challenging traditional economic and military alliances; he has launched a trade war against allies in Western Europe, as well as Mexico and Canada, whose prime minister he recently dismissed as “dishonest” and “weak.” Asst Prof Mohamed Nawab Osman, from Singapore’s NTU, said, “It’s hard for these ambassadors to take a stance, to speak out, and then your government doesn’t support you.”