Donald Trump condemned through President Joe Biden’s team after the Republican had to be asked twice if he would act like a dictator if he won the next election.
The former president told Fox News’ Sean Hannity in a public broadcast Tuesday night that he would only be a dictator on the “first day” to enforce some of his policies, but that he would not abuse his strength in the White House.
Hannity sought Trump’s assurance after several media outlets warned of consequences if the front-runner in the 2024 Republican presidential election wins the next general election. Trump’s rhetoric has also recently been accused of mimicking Nazi leader Adolf Hitler and Italian fascist Benito Mussolini. after describing his political enemies as “vermin. “
In the mayor’s office, Hannity asked Trump, “Are you in no case promising America tonight that you will never abuse retaliatory force against anyone?”
“Except for the first day,” Trump said. “I’m going to close the border and I’m going to drill, drill, drill,” he added, referring to his promise to expand U. S. oil drilling.
When Hannity responds, with “that’s not retribution,” Trump adds: “I love this guy, he says, ‘you’re not going to be a dictator are you?’ I said no, no, no, other than day one. We’re closing the border and we’re drilling, drilling, drilling. After that, I’m not a dictator.”
Early in the interview, Trump dodged Hannity’s question when he asked the former president if he “somehow” intended, if he was re-elected president, to abuse power, break the law, and use the government to pass more. . . after the people. “
“You mean like they’re employing right now?” Trump responded, referring to the 4 federal and state criminal investigations in which the former president pleaded not guilty to a total of 91 charges. Trump has accused the investigations of being a politically motivated “witch hunt” aimed at preventing him from winning the next election. election.
Reacting to the former president’s comments, Biden’s 2024 crusade team said in a statement: “Donald Trump told us precisely what he would do if re-elected and tonight he said he would be a dictator from day one. Americans will realize it. ” they deserve. “
The Democratic Party’s Rapid Response Team shared a clip of Trump promising he would be a dictator “from day one” on X, formerly Twitter, with the caption “and there you have it. “
Trump’s office was reached for comment via email.
And that’s all https://t. co/CSuOylFHcV
In recent days, conservative political commentator Robert Kagan has written an opinion piece for The Washington Post entitled “A Trump dictatorship is increasingly inevitable. We should stop pretending.” The latest issue of The Atlantic focuses on what would happen if Trump wins the next election, with the magazine’s staff concluding a second term in the White House “would be much worse.”
Former Wyoming Congresswoman Liz Cheney, an outspoken critic of Trump and one of two Republicans on the House select committee that investigated the Jan. 6 attack, also recently warned that the U. S. would “sleepwalk toward dictatorship” if the former president defeated Biden in 2024.
Jason Miller, a senior adviser to Trump, dismissed fears that Trump would become a dictator if he is re-elected president.
“It’s August 2016 again. The skyrocketing prices of fitness services worry millions. President Trump’s Democratic opponent has withdrawn from the crusade and hidden from the press,” Miller posted on X.
“Democrats and their allies in the media have stopped debating the issues and have resorted to insults and fear-mongering rhetoric. “
Ewan Palmer is a Newsweek News journalist founded in London, UK. It focuses on U. S. politics, domestic politics, and the courts. He joined Newsweek in February 2018 after spending several years working at the International Business Times UK, where he focused on crime. policy and existing issues. Prior to that, he worked as a freelancer after graduating from the University of Sunderland in 2010. Languages: English.
You can get in touch with Ewan by emailing [email protected].