Brian Stelter

A Florida judge throwing out Trump's suit against the New York Times last week is an example of how the courts are the ultimate backstop here.

I don't want to sound hyperbolic because America is a whole hell of a lot bigger and stronger than an Eastern European landlocked country like Hungary.

We're very different than Hungary.

President Trump is different than Viktor Orban in some ways, but the parallels between the US and Hungary are really striking right now.

Orban's control of the media, his consolidation of power, his attempts to weaken public broadcasting and break the backs of independent media and privatize media companies with the control of the state, all of that is very eerily similar to what Trump is attempting and to some of what's happened in the past nine months.

I've talked to former Hungarian members of parliament and other experts who have studied Hungary's democratic backsliding and more authoritarian moves.

They say that what they're seeing in the U.S.

is very similar.

So, you know, if you want to nerd out this weekend, go read about Hungary.

Read about the model there, the autocratic carrots and sticks, because I think that's what we're seeing here in some ways.

Ooh, spicy.

Most interesting thing about the past week.

I think the most interesting thing about the past week is that – can you answer first?

I'm going to try to stall for time.

Yeah, I think I know what it is.

I think I know what it is.

Every day there's a new scandal.

Every day there's a new Trump controversy.

Every day he's trying to use his power in ways that are unseen and unprecedented.

And different CNN beat reporters cover this in different ways every day.