Former United States President Donald Trump commanded himself at a prime-time Fox News town hall in Iowa on Wednesday, where he was forced to bluntly state that he “will not be a dictator.”
“No, I’m not going to be a dictator. I’m going to handle it like we do,” Trump said, according to the Daily Mail, commenting on his recent claim that if his criminal prosecution went ahead, there would be “chaos” in the country. .
He said his opponents were trying to get votes by branding him a dictator. He also chided the media for not highlighting parts of his opening remarks when he said he would only be a dictator of energy policy and order.
“It’s just a political stunt — Trump is a dictator, he wants to be a dictator,” Trump said.
Trump’s town hall came a day after he made “bedlam” remarks after an appeals court hearing appeared to be leaning toward rejecting his request for presidential immunity.
Last month, while at another Fox News town hall in Davenport, Iowa, co-host Sean Hannity asked Trump if he would “never abuse power in retaliation against anybody?”
“Except for the first day,” Trump replied. Trump has said that on “day one” of his presidency, he will use his presidential powers to close the southern border with Mexico and expand oil production.
Trump added: “After that, I’m no longer a dictator.”
The 2024 US presidential front-runner has a significant lead in Iowa polls, with several polls showing him at 50% and more than 30 points ahead of his rivals.
The 77-year-old former president was twice impeached by the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives, but acquitted by Republicans in the Senate.
Trump is scheduled to go on trial on March 4 on charges of conspiring to overturn the 2020 election won by US President Joe Biden.
