Donald Trump addressed concerns about his potential presidency during a televised town hall event in Iowa, stating that he would not become a dictator if re-elected as US president, except "on day one." This response came after warnings from Democrats and some Republicans who expressed fears that America could be at risk of turning into an autocracy if Trump were to win the 2024 election.
In the town hall event, the Republican presidential candidate had to be prompted twice to deny any intentions of abusing power to retaliate against political opponents if he were to return to the White House. Trump asserted that, apart from "day one," he had no plans to assume dictatorial powers, specifying that on this particular day, he would use presidential authority to close the southern border with Mexico and expand oil drilling.
Trump, currently seeking a second White House term, frequently made promises of "retribution" against political adversaries, including President Joe Biden, prosecutors who have filed charges against him, the Department of Justice, and the federal bureaucracy. These statements were made in various campaign speeches and television appearances throughout the year.
Appearing at a Fox News event in Davenport, Iowa, Trump, the frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination, faced a friendly audience. However, as soon as the event concluded, Biden's campaign manager, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, released a statement emphasizing Trump's declaration about being a dictator on day one and urged Americans to take his words seriously.
Trump, who served as US president from 2017 to 2021, has consistently refused to concede his defeat to Biden in the 2020 election. His ongoing promotion of false claims about election fraud played a pivotal role in the January 6, 2021 insurrection by his supporters at the US Capitol. These baseless election claims continue to be a central theme in Trump's current campaign for the White House.
Despite Trump's dominance in the Republican presidential nomination race, he opted to skip a televised debate where rivals like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley participated. The concern over a potential Trump dictatorship has been echoed by critics, including former Republican Representative Liz Cheney, who co-chaired the congressional probe of the Capitol attack, describing it as a "very real threat" if Trump secures re-election.
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