That's the strange thing about trump why is he so beholden to putin and Russia, its actually not very republican since traditionally republicans were hawkish on foreign policy especially regarding Russia
Trump is not really Republican.
He is a racist, misogynistic authoritarian.
A segment of the conservative right in the US has always admired autocrats and hankers back to a time of white supremacy, macho men, and women in their rightful role as housewives and mothers. Anything to the left of that is deemed “radical”.
That philosophy appeals to the present-day MAGA movement.
At different times, the conservative right admired Kaiser Wilhelm II, Franco, Mussolini and Hitler and so their admiration for Putin is just a continuation.
It is a view that people are better off with a strong leader who would keep them and their economy safe rather than a democracy.
H. L. Mencken a US journalist, essayist and a political satirist writing in the 1920s had the same elitist disdain for representative democracy.
Several of his quotes are comparative to Trump and the conservative right of today:
“The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed by (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary”.
“Democracy is the theory that common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard”.
“Democracy is the pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance”.
And lastly,
“On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart’s desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron”.