Support for Hitler was pretty wide, and not only among the ethnic Germans. He was viewed almost universally as a viable alternative to bolshevism. It changed gradually as he grew more aggressive, especially to Britain; antisemitic laws did not help either.
American conservatives were starved for normal rational government that looks to fix its own country, understands that moral decay drives economic decay, respects religion and seek alliance with religious leaders. From afar, Putin looked like all these things. One had to know the cultural makeup of the USSR to understand that it was the root of Putin’s cultural conservatism; it is the USSR he wants to conserve. It appears that he is succeeding.
His success is based on the same flaws that were the foundation of the USSR. They are the “big lie” and the use of force against political opposition. The “big lie” in this case is similar to the Marxist/Leninist one. Their lie was give us, a small clique of leftist intellectuals (the vanguard of the proletariat), all of your freedom forever without any accountability, and we’ll create a worker’s paradise. Putin’s “big lie” is give me your freedom forever without any accountability and I’ll recreate the Russian Empire and restore THE Russian Orthodox faith (not all Christian faiths or freedom to worship as you see fit). It is, then, with these same pie in the sky type promises and the real loss of personal freedom that the Putin agenda proceeds and is similar to the Leninist theft of freedom. I’m shocked that Putin merely has to utter some conservatives phrases and some “conservatives” go for him without any skepticism. They’re no different than the dupes who bought into every communist that came along and promised paradise and delivered dystopias in the 20th Century. Putin’s personal wealth and his entire President for Life routine should cause everyone with any sense to say that he’s against liberty. And the former KGB thug, now super rich gangster statesman, that is the real Putin is not a conservative interested in anything more significant than himself.