Donald Trump has been ruling like an authoritarian since retaking office in January, repeatedly thumbing his nose at Congress, the Constitution, and any other check on presidential power. On Monday, Trump appeared to tease the notion of the United States becoming a full-fledged dictatorship while signing executive orders in the Oval Office.
Trump was answering questions about his administration’s military takeover of Washington, D.C., which he has said he will likely expand to other cities, including Chicago. “As you know, Chicago is a killing field right now, and they don’t acknowledge it,” the president said, referring to Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and other Democrats who don’t want Trump to send troops into the city. “They say, ‘We don’t need him! Freedom! Freedom! He’s a dictator! He’s a dictator!’”
“A lot of people are saying maybe we’d like a dictator,” Trump then asserted, before claiming he doesn’t want a dictatorship. “I’m not a dictator,” he said. “I’m a man with common sense and a smart person.”
Trump, of course, said several times during the 2024 campaign that he wanted to be a dictator — adding, each time, he only meant on the first day of his administration. While he may have denied Monday that he wants to be a dictator, the president of the United States even suggesting that Americans want to do away with democracy and be ruled by one is chilling.
Trump has so far shown zero regard for Congress as a co-equal branch of government, and his administration similarly has operated as if it is not subject to rulings from the federal judiciary. The president has signed myriad unconstitutional executive orders — including one last week seeking to dictate how states manage their elections, despite the president having no role in federal elections, and another order Monday morning penalizing anyone who burns the flag with a year of jail time, which is a blatant affront to the First Amendment and directly contradicts Supreme Court precedent.
It shouldn’t be surprising considering the praise Trump has long lavished on autocratic rulers around the world — from Russian President Vladimir Putin to Kim Jong-un of North Korea, or what some of his own former administration officials have said about him. John Kelly, who served as both secretary of the Department of Homeland Security and White House chief of staff during Trump’s first term, said ahead of the 2024 election that Trump “certainly prefers the dictator approach to government.”
“Well, looking at the definition of fascism: It’s a far-right authoritarian, ultranationalist political ideology and movement characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hierarchy,” Kelly told The New York Times, when asked if Trump is a fascist. “So certainly, in my experience, those are the kinds of things that he thinks would work better in terms of running America.”
It’s hard to argue with Kelly’s description of how Trump likes to rule given the first several months of his second administration. The forcible suppression of opposition and militarism have been in particularly sharp focus lately. The FBI on Friday targeted John Bolton, a former Trump adviser who lately has been criticizing the president, while the Justice Department has launched probes into New York Attorney General Letitia James and Democratic Senator Adam Schiff, both fierce Trump critics who have worked to hold him to account for his corruption. Trump has said former President Barack Obama should also be subject to investigation.
Trump said on Monday that the military is ready to be deployed to Chicago and other liberal strongholds where the president wants to impose his will. When asked whether he would send troops into cities even if governors don’t request such a deployment, Trump responded, “I am.”
Trump was also asked if the Pentagon is prepared to send troops into Chicago. “We’re ready to go anywhere,” the president replied.
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