A "'''useful idiot'''" is a person who supports a viewpoint but who is held in contempt by promoters of that viewpoint. A recent example is Rep. [[Marjorie Taylor Greene]] (R-GA), who was heavily promoted in November and December 2025 by the [[liberal media]], and just made a fool of herself.
The term was historically used of those in [[Western civilization|the west]] who sympathized with [[Soviet Union]] policies, but for whom the Soviets held little regard.