Personal loyalty

Garry Kasparov was the 13th World Chess Champion. He is now a champion of human rights and the Chair of the Human Rights Foundation. As part of this role he is a vocal opponent of Vladimir Putin and authoritarian regimes. He recently tweeted:

Genuinely curious. How do Trump's defenders explain why this entirely self-interested man defers so consistently to Putin, and only Putin? He's had every opportunity to refute this loyalty, which predates his election. Innocent until proven guilty, but Trump tries so hard to appear personally compromised when it would be so easy not to. Remember that personal loyalty is what Putin cares about most, so he can tell his gang, "the top guy is mine, don't worry".

Commenters ask: Blackmail? True believer in fascism?