Tells Hannity he would be 'dictator' on 'day one' to close border and drill

At a Fox News town hall in Iowa, Sean Hannity asked Trump to promise he would not abuse power or seek retribution if re-elected. Instead of reassuring voters, Trump said 'I want to be a dictator' on 'day one' to 'close the border' and 'drill, drill, drill.' When Hannity pressed him to clarify, Trump repeated: 'After that I'm not a dictator.' The exchange alarmed democracy advocates who noted that aspiring authoritarians often use 'temporary' justifications to seize power.

"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.'" — Fox News town hall with Sean Hannity, Iowa, December 5, 2023