Resolute Square

Trump is Running for Dictator

"Dictators don’t typically self-limit their own power to two issues and then give up power, but Trump would like his followers to believe that he would be a special, one-day-only, limited-time dictator," writes Jenn Mercieca. Don't believe him.
Published:December 7, 2023
Share

By Dr. Jennifer Mercieca
 
“They wanna call you a dictator,” Sean Hannity said to Donald Trump in an interview taped in Davenport, Iowa. “To be clear, would you in any way, have any plans whatsoever, if reelected president, to abuse power, to break the law to use the government to go after people--” 

“You mean like they’re using right now?” Trump interrupted. His live studio audience laughed and clapped. One woman behind Trump can be seen vigorously nodding her approval as Trump used a strategy known as “accusing the accuser” (tu quoque), accusing his Democratic Party opposition of using the political system to attack him. 

Trump used his tu quoque strategy to give himself permission and as justification. Politics is war, and the enemy cheats, Trump claims. Trump would be justified if he abused power because they have already abused power. The nation needs a dictator, not a president. 

Hannity tried once again to get Trump to promise that he wouldn’t become a dictator, framing it as “the media attacking you” with an unfair or exaggerated accusation. “Under no circumstances,” asked Hannity, “you are promising America tonight you would never abuse power as retribution against anybody?” 

“Except for day one,” Trump said as he held up his index finger, and the studio audience laughed and clapped again. Then Trump underscored that he really meant that he plans to become a dictator as he narrated the conversation for the audience: “I love this guy,” Trump said. “He says, ‘You’re not going to be a dictator, are you?’ I said: ‘No, no, no, other than day one. We’re closing the border, and we’re drilling, drilling, drilling. After that, I’m not a dictator.’” 

Dictators don’t typically self-limit their own power to two issues and then give up power, but Trump would like his followers to believe that he would be a special, one-day-only, limited-time dictator. Trump makes jokes about being a dictator, but he’s not joking. Trump is not running for president; he’s running for dictator. 

Trump likes to say shocking and outrageous things to attract attention and control the news cycle—and, as I’ve explained, he would rather be seen as a supposed “strong man” like Hitler than as a loser. And so, it’s easy to dismiss Trump’s embrace of dictatorial power as hyperbole, but don’t. He’s telling us quite clearly that he will not follow the rule of law—he wants unlimited power. No one who follows the rule of law would joke about being a dictator. 

One important indicator scholars use to gauge democratic backsliding is whether or not political leaders violate democratic norms and the rule of law. That’s because democratic stability requires clear laws with predictable consequences. Democracy requires that those laws are followed and enforced both for citizens and officials. When political officials are held accountable to established law, that’s called democratic “rule of law”—the thing that Hannity asked Trump if he would violate. 

But Trump, like all dictators before him, claims that the other side has already broken the rule of law—that the rule of law doesn’t exist because his political enemies are cheaters. That claim gives him permission, like all unaccountable leaders before him, to argue that the nation needs a “strong leader” like him who will rid the country of supposed ‘lawlessness.’ Trump would rid the nation of ‘lawlessness’ by assuming uncontrollable power. 

Would-be dictators don’t want to be held accountable to the rule of law themselves because, obviously, the rule of law restrains their power. Dictators want the law to be arbitrary; they want to have the power to decide which laws will be enforced and who is subject to enforcement and who is not. When political officials apply the rule of law as it suits them and to advance their own interests, that’s called autocratic “rule by law.”

You might think that American government institutions are strong enough to hold Trump accountable to the democratic rule of law but don’t be too sure. The goal for any authoritarian is unaccountable power; the path to that power is to purge the government of officials who will follow and enforce the rule of law and replace them with officials who will follow and enforce the rule of the autocratic leader. The former are loyal to the law; the latter are loyal to the autocrat.

This is exactly Trump’s plan. Of course, Trump doesn’t say outright that he wants the power to “rule by law,” instead, he deploys a conspiracy theory about the “Deep State” that is supposedly corrupting the government and the “rule of law.”

According to public policy professor Donald P. Moynihan, Trump, and Trump-loyal political groups are already working to flood the government with 20,000 Trump loyalists who will replace those who currently enforce the rule of law. “They will be placed in every agency across government,” explained Moynihan, “including the agencies responsible for protecting the environment, regulating workplace safety, collecting taxes, determining immigration policy, maintaining safety net programs, representing American interests overseas, and ensuring the impartial rule of law.” 

Flooding the government with people who are extreme loyalists to a person, party, or political program instead of the constitution or government or rule of law is how democracies die. Wannabe dictators like Trump normalize fascist ways of thinking about politics and society by disciplining political thought and action with loyalty tests.

There's a democratic way of thinking about power and the “rule of law” and a fascist way of thinking about power and “rule by law.” Trump's goal is to purge people who think within a democracy framework. People who think within the fascist framework will willingly create and execute his fascist policies.

At his first presidential rally on March 25, 2023, in Waco, Texas, Trump framed his whole campaign around this goal: “Either the deep state destroys America, or we destroy the deep state,” Trump bellowed. His supporters should give him power so that he can destroy their enemies: “Justice will only be done when we have drawn this repulsive political class that hell out of office. We have to get them out. In 2016, I declared I am your voice. And now I say to you again tonight: I am your warrior. I am your justice. And—I took a lot of heat for this one, but I only mean it in the proper way for those who have been wronged and betrayed, of which there are many people who have been wronged and betrayed—I am your retribution.” 

Will Trump’s followers elect a dictator? Yes. “So what if he’s a dictator?” they’ll ask. “Maybe we need a dictator?” they’ll wonder. “Trump is our dictator!” They’ll think when they vote.

Related

  • Election Day Special Edition With James Carville
    That Trippi Show

    That Trippi Show

    Legendary strategist James Carville joins Joe and Alex to preview Election Day and discuss his new documentary, "Carville: Winning is everything, stupid!" Why does over 100 years of combined experience think this election is only pointing one way? Where should you be watching for election night data? And one key question James asks Joe and Alex - you won't want to miss this one. It's our last pre-Election Day episode! See you on the other side...
    November 5, 2024
  • America Will Rise To The Challenge
    Stuart Stevens writes: "Pain is the only teacher in politics, and the Republican Trump party must be defeated again and again, up and down the ballot, until finally, a sense of self-preservation will drive it to change."
    November 4, 2024
  • Good news for Kamala, Trump's turnout problem & Bold Predictions? With Tom Bonier
    That Trippi Show

    That Trippi Show

    Our friend and data guru Tom Bonier joins the show to figure out what's real and what isn't with just days to go. Is early voting good for Democrats? Or just different? And what is going on with all these yo-yoing polls? Where are Tom and Joe most confident headed into the final weekend before Election Day - and what's everyone's bold prediction for the election? This is it, everybody. Go vote! Check vote.org to confirm your registration and make a plan to vote. You can see more of Tom's work at https://targetearly.targetsmart.com/.
    November 1, 2024
  • The Free World vs. Him: Alexander Vindman on Trump's Foreign Policy
    The Lincoln Project Podcast

    The Lincoln Project Podcast

    Alexander Vindman offers his foreign policy take on what a second Trump presidency would mean for the United States and the good of the civilized world. Follow Alexander Vindman on X at @AVindman and read and subscribe to his Substack at alexandervindman.substack.com. Follow Rick Wilson at @TheRickWilson on X and subscribe to his Substack at therickwilson.substack.com. Join the fight with Lincoln Project at www.lincolnproject.us and follow us on X at @ProjectLincoln.
    October 31, 2024
  • Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal. Chapter 12: Year in Review

    Trump's Project 2025: Up Close And Personal

    Chapter 12 chronicles the demise of our fictional magazine, Capital Monthly. The pressure from the White House, from advertisers and from Social Media algorithms kills the independent journalism that was documenting what life was like under Donald Trump's second term guided by Project 2025. As our host, Bill Press, of The Bill Press Pod says in the episode: “It’s not too late to change some minds. The election is a few days away and still most people have not voted. If you have a friend or family member that has not decided whether to vote, or whom to vote for, this is your chance to make a difference. If this series frightened you, made you even more fearful of a Trump second term, perhaps it can have the same effect on someone you know. Please share this series or even a single episode that might speak to that person's special interests. All twelve episodes are in your podcast app and available for sharing. Or you could direct them to go to 2025 pod.com. If we all do something, as Michelle Obama says, even small things like this, we can make a difference and save our Democracy from Donald Trump and Project 2025.” We’d like to thank all the artists who volunteered their time to make this series. Especially the talented sound designers Marilys Ernst and Jonathan Moser who worked on every episode. Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal is written by David Pepper and produced by Pepper, Melissa Jo Peltier and Jay Feldman and is a production of Ovington Avenue Productions and The Bill Press Pod.
    October 31, 2024