> All despots possess “great political authority”
I was thinking the same thing about the phrase - it can sound like a compliment but means nothing. And, if Obama had said it to Erdogan, the media would have praised him for his abilities at “diplomacy” - the smartest man in the world knows exactly what to say to every foreign leader. But they’d call for impeachment if the undiplomatic Trump said the same thing to Erdogan.
So Trump has good reason to congratulate Erdogan on his election victory.