that's how it started in hungary too after fidesz had a 2/3 majority and could start to work on a new constitution. and they turned our democracy into something they call "illiberal democracy". and it's basically an autocracy where loyalty >>>>>>>>>>>> everything else (including pedigree, merits, professionalism, facts, social justice, common sense). then they put their own people everywhere, be it prosecutors (that was the most important, there's no crime if nobody starts a process, see also the way figc operates), heads of public institutions, schools, state owned companies' boards, central bank, media authorities, you name it. then they started to take people's companies by stealing eu funds and tax money, redistributing the money via the tax system (lower the taxes of the rich, raise the taxes of the poor, does it ring a bell lol) and state investments. now the country is full of oligarchs close to fidesz, everyone knows that their immense wealth is basically fidesz property. they control the news, the economy and justice, they redraw electoral districts every now and then so that they are more favorable to them, they own the businesses, they control the education including the universities, and they keep blaming "brussels" and the "radical left" for every shit that's happening in the country. easy.
oh yeah, they are doing basically nothing that is patriotic. it's not even a right wing government. yeah they run advertisements that are against immigration, but at the same time, they import hundreds of thousands of philippinos to work in chinese factories, and they let russians travel and invest in the country like nothing happened. they support sport like it was patriotic lol, while even the communists did that. the only conservative thing they are doing is to attack gays and fighting gender related legislation, like it was a real issue within the country
~the same is happening under trump. musk charged with a department to run and at the same time being a huge client to the federation is corruption at the highest level, it shouldn't happen in any civilized country. hegseth's story perfectly fits the timeline too: a completely inept, unqualified but supposedly loyal idiot getting an important position is something that will happen many, many times, from top to bottom