Trump's former top Russia advisor says he has a bad case of 'autocrat envy'

• Trump's former top Russia advisor told The Daily Beast that he has a bad case of "autocrat envy."
• Fiona Hill also said Trump was a national security risk because of how susceptible he was to flattery.
• "Anyone could induce him to do something by raising the specter of someone insulting him - or by praising him," she said.

Former President Donald Trump's top Russia advisor told The Daily Beast this week that Trump has a bad case of "autocrat envy."

Fiona Hill also said Trump pandered to strongmen around the world like Hungary's Viktor Orban, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

"He also really liked kings and queens," Hill told The Daily Beast, adding that foreign leaders figured out early on in Trump's presidency how susceptible he was to flattery.

She also said Trump was "a counterintelligence and national security risk because he was so vulnerable to manipulation based on the fragility of his ego." Hill told The Daily Beast that "anyone could induce him to do something by raising the specter of someone insulting him - or by praising him. His ideology was idolatry."

Hill's interview with the outlet comes as she releases a new book, "There Is Nothing For You Here: Finding Opportunity in the 21st Century."

She maintained a relatively low profile as the top Russia expert on the National Security Council under Trump, but went on to make headlines when she testified along with other career officials in Trump's first impeachment inquiry.

This story is developing. Check back for updates.