Trump: only a dictator on the first day if re-elected
The Democrats see Donald Trump's return to the White House as a threat to democracy. If he is re-elected as US president, the 77-year-old has a lot planned - starting on day one.
In his own words, former US President Donald Trump will not become a dictator if he is re-elected - except on his first day in office. "No. No. Except for the first day," Trump replied at an event hosted by Fox News in Davenport when asked whether he would become a "dictator" if he won the election in November. He would use his presidential powers on "day one" to close the southern border with Mexico and expand oil drilling. "We're going to drill, drill, drill," Trump said.
During the televised event, Trump had to be asked twice to deny that he would abuse his power to avenge political opponents if he returned to the White House. Trump is seeking a second term as US president and could run again against incumbent Democratic President Joe Biden. He has frequently threatened his political opponents with "retribution" should he return to power.
Immediately after the event, Biden's campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez said: "Donald Trump has told us exactly what he will do if he is re-elected, and tonight he said he will be a dictator on day one. Americans should believe him." Biden has repeatedly warned that Trump poses a threat to democracy and that a second Trump term could usher in an unprecedented and dangerous era of American autocracy.
Warnings are also coming from the Republican side: former Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney, who openly criticized Trump and led the investigation into the attack on the Capitol, said this week that a Trump dictatorship was a "very real threat" if he won re-election.
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The Republicans, like former Congresswoman Liz Cheney, view a potential second term for Donald Trump as a threat to democratic principles, due to his past threats of retribution against political opponents if re-elected as US president in 2024. With his stated plans to exercise his presidential powers on day one to close the southern border and expand oil drilling, Democrats and Republicans alike fear the implications of a Trump dictatorship.
Given the warnings from both Democrats and Republicans, the US presidential election of 2024 is shaping up to be a pivotal moment, with Joe Biden currently standing as the incumbent president, who has voiced concerns about another term for Donald Trump posing a threat to democracy.
Source: www.ntv.de
