- Per Olav Ødegård
Commentator in VG. Former foreign journalist and correspondent for VG in the USA. Writes mostly about international affairs.
IN COURT: Former President Donald Trump arrives at the New York Supreme Court on December 7, where his company, the Trump Organization, is under indictment. Photo: EDUARDO MUNOZ ALVAREZ / AFP / NTB
Is it a joke or fact when Donald Trump says he wants to become a dictator on day 1 as president? It’s best to take him at his word.
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This is a comment. The comment expresses the writer’s attitudeInfo
The short version
- Trump states that he wants to be “dictator for a day” if he wins the next presidential election
- The statement was made during a campaign rally in Iowa in December, where he also promised to close the border and drill for more oil
- Trump’s popularity is growing, and many Republicans support him, despite his controversial statements
- Trump has previously expressed admiration for authoritarian leaders and sought revenge on political opponents
The summary is made by the AI tool ChatGPT and quality assured by VG’s journalists.
Sea view
Trump has on many occasions expressed respect and admiration for authoritarian leaders. He has called Vladimir Putin very smart and even brilliant. But the US is not like Putin’s Russia.
The political system in the United States must ensure a balance of power and the constitution must prevent a president from abusing power.
But there is every reason to expect that Trump, if he wins the election next year, will test the limits of what a president can do. On day 1 and all days that follow.
WARM RECEPTION: Donald Trump welcomes Fox News’ Sean Hannity at a “Make America Great Again” convention in Missouri in November 2018. Photo: JIM WATSON / AFP / NTB
The dictator for a day remark was made at a rally in Iowa earlier in December. Fox News’ Sean Hannity was the moderator. He has distinguished himself as a staunch defender of the former president. In Iowa, he gave Trump an opportunity to confirm that he “would not abuse his power to take revenge on anyone.”
Trump did not answer the question. There is also no reason to doubt that Trump will use the presidency to exact revenge on his opponents. Revenge has been a leitmotif since he started his election campaign.
Instead, Trump rephrased Hannity’s question.
– He says: You don’t want to be a dictator, do you? I say: No, no, no, except for day 1. Then we close the border and we drill, drill, drill. Afterwards, I’m not going to be a dictator, Trump replied.
The supporters cheered. Trump understood that he had found a line that worked. Not just because his constituents want to close the border and drill for more oil. Trump also loves to make provocative statements that attract the media’s attention, and which he can later rant about.
GOOD TONE: Donald Trump in conversation with Vladimir Putin at the G20 meeting in Hamburg in 2017. Photo: Evan Vucci / AP / NTB
At a campaign rally a few days later, Trump referred to an op-ed on the matter in the New York Times. He repeated the message from Iowa about being a dictator for a day. Rhetorically, he asked a friendly audience if they understood why he wants to be a dictator.
They shouted in unison: Build the wall!
It is about the border wall in the south that Trump promised to build in 2016 and that Mexico would pay for. Mexico did not pay a single cent and only 79 kilometers of new border walls were built during Trump’s four years in the White House. Some existing fences were additionally reinforced.
Do you think Donald Trump will win the 2024 presidential election?
Now everything must be fixed during Trump’s day as dictator. Trump has also promised to create peace in Ukraine in 24 hours. There are certainly no limits to what Trump can accomplish in a working day, as long as he has unlimited power.
As a dictator for a day, Trump will be unique in world history. Those who acquire great power do not give it up voluntarily. If Trump tries to abuse the power of the president, he will surely be met with resistance from the legislative and judicial branches.
Another Republican presidential candidate, Nikki Haley, says Trump will bring chaos to the White House.
But the vast majority of Republicans stand behind Trump. Many pay tribute to him. Others shrug off his controversial statements.
Why would he become a dictator when he was not in his first term?
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Opinion polls currently show that around 60 percent want Trump as presidential candidate, while Nikki Haley is at 10.5 percent. Photo: Kristopher Radder / AP / NTB
But no president before Trump has refused to concede an election defeat and then incited his supporters to “fight like hell” to stop the recognition of a legitimate election. The coup attempt on January 6, 2021 clearly showed that American democracy is under threat.
Trump wants to entertain his audience. The easiest thing is to laugh at him. But it is worth listening to what he says and taking him seriously.
Trump has called his political opponents vermin and promised retaliation against anyone who has stood up to him. Now he also wants to play dictator.
Trump’s popularity is increasing. If there were an election today, he would probably have won over President Joe Biden.
If Trump wins, no one can say in retrospect that they were not warned about what to expect.
Published:
Published: 16.12.23 at 02:15
2023-12-16 01:15:39
#Comment #Trump #dictator #day
