According to Mark Dubowitz, CEO of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, “democracy has been a disaster for minorities in the Middle East” and “’inclusive authoritarianism’ might be a better alternative.” The irony of this idea was not lost on observers. One writer quipped: “This guy literally runs an outfit called the Foundation for Defense of Democracies!” FDD, a bastion of neoconservative political activism, became a major policy force during the George W. Bush administration and has returned even stronger in the Trump era. Stocked with ideologues supporting aggressive anti-Iran and “pro-Israel” policies, FDD has also been one of the few organizations defending Trump’s refusal to take serious measures against Saudi Arabia over their war in Yemen and the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.