from Jonathan Schell's The Time of Illusion: the key theme--illusion and its effects--seems like it might offer some insight into the current US admin:
We are reminded how Nixon ran and won as the peace candidate who would get us out of the Dem war in Vietnam. The anti-war voices at all levels shut down at the '68 convention. How he convinced many of the nation's influential opinion-mongers that he was a 'new' Nixon, not the one who had ended his own career earlier. How he actually had a post-election lunch with Humphrey--to show the nation's new unity; how he spoke of how 'the Negro"--the word faded
quickly around this time--would rise higher under his administration's policies; how his administration would be so transparent, the whole nation would be reassured.
Then he began the absolutely secret bombing of Cambodia; he ordered a plan to 'round up' anti-war protesters; he wrote memos on how PR image-making was the only way to publicly
run the admin; he ordered wiretaps on some aides and five major reporters (previous AG Ramsey Clark declared the recent law re warrant permission was unconstitutional and he would never); Schell argues that even a couple of bills were presented that were INTENDED to fail so that where Congress stood vs his admin was evident to all.
Schell shows how Nixon's PR image campaign then became a "domestic war" against any kind of nay-saying. Even invading Cambodia was a test of national resolve and commitment not real horrible policy. Which lead to Kent State, hard hats beating up on protestors, among other horrors.
Hating Nixon was the least we should have done. And Nixon did in secret what Trump does openly, is one way to frame it,
What a world.