Recommendations of the Editorial team
Donald Trump has ruled like a autocrate since returning to office in January. Again and again he ignores the congress, the constitution and all control instances. On Monday he even made the idea in the Oval Office when signing the enactment, The United States could turn into a full dictatorship.
Trump’s dictator rhetoric
Trump answered questions about Washington’s military takeover, DC, which he probably wants to extend to other cities like Chicago. “As you know, Chicago is currently a battlefield and you don’t want to acknowledge it,” said the president in the direction of the democratic governor JB Pritzker and other politicians who reject the use of troops. “You say, ‘We don’t need him! Freedom! Freedom! He is a dictator! He is a dictator!'”
“Many people say maybe we want a dictator,” said Trump before explaining that he did not want a dictatorship. “I’m not a dictator,” says Trump. “I am a man with common sense and a smart person.”
In the 2024 election campaign, he had emphasized several times that he wanted to be a dictator “only on the first day”. It is terrifying that the President of the United States now only indicates that the Americans could prefer to be ruled by a autocrat.
So far, Trump has shown no respect for congress as equivalent violence, nor does his government have accepted judgments of the federal courts. He has enacted a variety of unconstitutional decrees – including last week one that is supposed to prescribe the states of how they organize their elections, although this does not fall into the area of responsibility of the president. On Monday morning, he also signed an order that punishes the burning of the flag with one year in prison – a direct attack on the first constitutional additive and in contradiction to the case law of the Supreme Court.
Autocrats as role models
That shouldn’t surprise: Trump has repeatedly praised autocrats like Vladimir Putin or Kim Jong-un. Former government members also warn. John Kelly, formerly Minister of Homeland Protection and chief of staff in the White House, said before the 2024 election, Trump “clearly preferred the dictatorial approach”.
“If you look at the definition of fascism – a radical right -wing, authoritarian, ultranationalist ideology with a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, violent oppression of opposition and belief in a natural social hierarchy – then it fits pretty well,” said Kelly of the “New York Times.” “In my experience, these are exactly the things he believes that they would better rule America.”
Attack on opponents and critics
The first months of his second term confirmed Kelly’s assessment. Militarism and oppression of opposition are currently particularly visible. On Friday, the FBI targeted the former consultant John Bolton, who had publicly criticized Trump. The Ministry of Justice also initiated investigations against the New York General Prosecutor Letitia James and the Democratic Senator Adam Schiff – both long -time opponents of the President. Ex-President Barack Obama should also be examined, Trump demanded.
On Monday, he also said that the military was ready to be sent to Chicago and other liberal strongholds where he wanted to enforce his will. When asked whether he would also send troops against the will of the governors, Trump replied: “I do that.” When asked whether the Pentagon was prepared, he replied: “We are ready for use everywhere.”