Can Trump be a dictator?

Atthe end of August, Donald Trump declared inthe White House that heis nota dictator. e clarified why he isn’t, adding that he hates dictators.

- ATANU BISWAS

(However, he implied that Americans may like a“dictator.’) During a Cabinet meeting at the White House in early September, Trump reaffirmed his belief that he is not a dictator, and he just knows how to stop crime.

“Dictators everywhere, first of all, claim that they’re not dictators,” Harvard University political scientist Steven Levitsky reminded us following Trumps claim. And secondly, “somewhat contradictorily, claim that the people want a dictator. Those are classic dictator lines.”

Before the 2024 election, Trump, however, intended to become a dictator only on the first day of his second term. One can perceive that his aspiration has gained a longtime horizon. While Illinois Governor JB Pritzkerreferred to himas a “wannabe dictator,” I also found an intriguing survey by the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) of 5,025 adults during February-March that revealed that 52 per cent of Americans think that President Trump is a “dangerous dictator.” But is he? Or can he be?

“It'll be fixed!” Trump assured supporters during the 2024 presidential campaign that they won't have to vote in the future. Wow! He even advocated doing away with elections. Then, to gain more authority over the Federal Reserve, President Trump attempted to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook. When he disapproved of a subpar jobs report, he dismissed the head of the Bureau of Labour Statistics. He has demanded that former President Barack Obama be looked into for treason and also threatens to prosecute Democrats. Overall, many of his actions — from mobilising the national guard to attacking media and educational institutions — seem inappropriate for a democratic leader.