Former President Trump’s dictator-for-a-day remark during his Fox News town hall on Tuesday was all the left needed to hear to fuel their claim that he’s a threat to democracy.
Trump made the comment in reference to Hannity asking whether he would promise the American people he’d “never abuse power as retribution against anybody.”
Trump vowed to never be a dictator except for the first day in office, when he’d “close the border” and “drill, drill, drill.”
But as Hannity pointed out, that wasn’t “retribution.”
“That sounds to me like you’re going back to the policies when you were president,” Hannity noted.
Trump, laughing, agreed.
But that didn’t stop the panic among the left.
“Trump says ‘I’m not a dictator’ but top figures warn of authoritarian takeover,” read a Guardian headline.
Politico wondered, 'Were Trump’s initial remarks a Trumpian jest? A threat? A promise?
"Whether Trump was smiling and winking at a dictatorship, his declaration marked a pivotal point in the race — coming as he and those who would likely populate his second-term administration spark concerns that they are laying the groundwork for a more authoritarian style of governance."
Over at The Bulwark, readers are informed that "most aspiring dictators try to hide their intentions. Trump doesn't. And that's his secret sauce."
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The Hill warned, "Trump supercharges concerns of dictatorship in second term."
And Democratic National Committee chair Jaime Harrison argued the remark should "disqualify" him.
I'll say it because Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis refused to.
— Jaime Harrison (@harrisonjaime) December 7, 2023
Donald Trump admitting that he will be a dictator on day one absolutely disqualifies him from being president.
DNC National Press Secretary Sarafina Chitika couldn't believe the jest wasn't a main focus of the fourth GOP debate.
“Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis, and Vivek Ramaswamy owe the American people an answer on the debate stage tonight as to why they’re implicitly supporting the Republican frontrunner’s assertion he would be a dictator on day one if reelected president," Chitika said. "Any serious candidate for president should be brave enough to call out this anti-American, authoritarian threat for what it is. Trump’s comments last night were the latest in his extreme pattern of dangerous ploys to once again undermine our democratic institutions, and Republicans from the presidential campaign trail to Congress are doing this country a disservice by remaining quiet. Whether or not 2024 Republicans grow a backbone and a conscience, the American people will reject these disqualifying comments just as they’ll reject MAGA extremism up and down the ballot next November.”
As Sen. J.D. Vance urged, people need to have a sense of humor. But that's long been dead on the left.
Trump’s super power is that he’s the most quick witted leader in a generation.
— J.D. Vance (@JDVance1) December 6, 2023
Every grown man hyperventilating about this clip needs to find a sense of humor. I’m pretty sure you can buy them on Amazon. Free two day shipping. pic.twitter.com/MyJwgTLCDb
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