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 emulating Nazi leader Adolf Hitler and Italian fascist Benito Mussolini. after calling his political enemies “vermin. “
During the town hall meeting, Hannity asked Trump, “Will you under no circumstances promise America tonight that you will never abuse retaliatory force against anyone?”»
“Except on 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 oil extraction in the United States.
When Hannity replies, “It’s not revenge,” Trump adds, “I love that guy, and he says, ‘You’re not going to be a dictator, are you?’I said no, no, no, the first day. We close the border and drill, drill, drill. After that, I’m no longer a dictator.
Early in the interview, Trump asked Hannity another question when he asked the former president if “one way or another” he intended, if re-elected president, to abuse power, break the law and use the government to go further. behind the people. “
“You mean like they’re using right now?” Trump replied, an apparent reference to the four federal and state criminal investigations where the former president has pleaded not guilty to 91 charges in total. Trump has accused the investigations of being politically motivated “witch hunts” which aim to stop him winning the next 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 “there you have it. “
Trump’s office has been contacted for comment via email.
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In recent days, conservative political commentator Robert Kagan wrote an op-ed for the Washington Post titled “A Trump Dictatorship Is Increasingly Inevitable. We avoid pretending. ” The Atlantic’s most recent story focuses on what would happen if Trump were to win the next election, with the magazine’s staff concluding that 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 could simply become a dictator if he is re-elected president.
“It’s August 2016 all over again. Skyrocketing cost of health care has millions worried. President Trump’s Dem. opponent off the campaign trail & hiding from the press,” Miller posted on X.
“Democrats and their allies in the media have stopped debating the issues and resorted to name-calling 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 reach Ewan by emailing e. palmer@newsweek. com.