Today's authoritarians are in it for the money and power, and they are blatant about it. They just lie and lie and lie to cover it up. The book below describes it all in detail...but MAGA will never know because it does not penetrate their bubble, and god knows they do not read books.
Link: https://www.amazon.com/Autocracy-Inc-Dictators-Want-World/dp/0385549938