Democracy Dies in Darkness

Trump says he wouldn’t be a dictator ‘except for Day One’

When asked during a Fox News town hall if he would seek retribution upon returning to office, the former president largely sidestepped the question

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December 6, 2023 at 9:49 a.m. EST
Since leaving the White House in 2021, Donald Trump has said he would approach a second term as president with an expansive view of executive branch authority. (Video: JM Rieger/The Washington Post, Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)
3 min

Former president Donald Trump said Tuesday that he would not be a dictator upon returning to office “except for Day One,” as he largely deflected questions at a televised town hall event about whether he would abuse his powers to seek retribution against his political adversaries.

Fox News host Sean Hannity pressed Trump on two occasions during the event in Davenport, Iowa, on whether he would promise not to abuse his powers upon returning to the White House. In both occasions, Trump circumvented the question and did not outright deny the possibility.