December 06, 2023

Day 1051: "After that, I'm not a dictator."

5 minutes

1/ Trump refused to rule out abusing power if re-elected president. In a Fox News town hall, Sean Hannity asked Trump to deny that he would abuse power to seek revenge on political opponents if he returns to the White House. Trump initially dodged the question. “You are promising America tonight you would never abuse power as retribution against anybody?” Hannity asked a second time. “Except for Day One,” Trump replied. Asked for clarification, Trump responded: “I want to close the border, and I want to drill, drill, drill.” Trump then doubled down on his comments: “I love this guy,” referring to Hannity. “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.” Biden’s campaign, meanwhile, warned Americans that Trump “has been telling us exactly what he will do if he’s re-elected, and tonight he said he will be a dictator on Day 1. Americans should believe him.” (Associated Press / NBC News / New York Times / ABC News / Washington Post / The Guardian / Rolling Stone / Daily Beast / Politico)

🔎 What’s at stake? The potential of Trump’s to return to power with intentions of abusing it for personal retribution and autocratic governance puts American democratic values at risk. The idea of a former president abusing power threatens the principles of fairness and justice central to democracy, which could lead to an erosion of democratic norms, undermining fairness, justice, and the rule of law. It’s not just about one leader’s actions but about the broader implications for democratic governance, accountability, and the rule of law. This situation tests the resilience of American democratic institutions and the commitment of its citizens to uphold democratic norms.

Trump and his allies are preparing for an aggressive expansion of his powers should he take back the White House. “The fiery language is not new, but he and a group of Trump insiders are working behind the scenes on plans to amass his power so that he can carry out an unprecedented restructuring of the U.S. government.” (NPR)

A second Trump administration will take action “criminally or civilly” against people in the media. “We will go out and find the conspirators, not just in the government, but in the media, yes, we’re going to come after the people in the media, who lied about American citizens, who helped Joe Biden rig the elections, we’re going to come after you,” Kash Patel said on Steve Bannon’s podcast, referring to a potential second Trump leadership. “Whether it’s criminally or civilly, we’ll figure that out, but yeah, we’re putting you all on notice.” (

...more