This week, President Donald Trump made a series of unprecedented statements about dictatorship: alternating between denying he is one while simultaneously suggesting Americans might prefer authoritarian rule.
Trump’s most striking comments came Monday during an Oval Office event where he signed executive orders related to federal takeover of the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department and deployment of National Guard troops.
Trump responded to Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker’s criticism of his plans to potentially deploy troops to Chicago by saying, “I made the statement that next it should be Chicago. Because as you all know, Chicago is a killing field right now. And they don’t acknowledge it. And they say we don’t need him. Freedom. Freedom? He’s a dictator. He’s a dictator. A lot of people are saying maybe we like a dictator. I don’t like a dictator. I’m not a dictator. I’m a man with great common sense, and I’m a smart person. And when I see what’s happening to our cities and then you send in troops instead of being praised, they’re saying you’re trying to take over the Republic. These people are sick. But I’m really saying and I say this to all of you in a certain way, we should wait to be asked. Because they have cities that are so under control, you know, out of control. So we go in and fix it. They take the full credit for it. And they go out and say, I heard it this morning, they’re saying how well they’ve done over the last ten day period. That they set record lows. They don’t say that where they are with very tough people by the way. They have to pass the toughness test, otherwise they’re not working for us, so. And we’re allowed to do that now according to the United States Supreme Court decision. Now they have to pass a toughness test. If they’re not tough, we don’t want them for this job. They might be great for other jobs, but not for this job because they respected.“
During the same event, Trump signed an executive order directing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to establish “specialized units” within the National Guard specifically trained to handle “public order issues.” This expansion of presidential control over domestic military deployment would fundamentally alter the traditional balance between federal executive power and state authority.
Unlike previous presidential uses of military force domestically, which typically involved either invoking the Insurrection Act during specific crises or responding to direct requests from state governors, Trump’s order establishes a permanent, nationwide military apparatus specifically designed for domestic law enforcement operations.
Trump doubled down on his rhetoric during a nearly three-and-a-half-hour Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
While discussing Chicago, Trump said, “I have the right to do anything I want to do. I’m the president of the United States. If I think our country is in danger, and it is in danger in these cities, I can do it.“
He continued, “But then he goes on television and says, oh, Trump is a dictator, he’s a dictator — and a lot of people are — so the line is that I’m a dictator, but I stop crime. So a lot of people say, you know, if that’s the case, I’d rather have a dictator, but I’m not a dictator. I just know how to stop crime.”
These statements echo Trump’s previous claims about unlimited presidential power. In 2019, he repeatedly asserted that “Article II allows me to do whatever I want” as president.
By deploying troops in Los Angeles, DC and potentially other cities, like Chicago, Trump challenges the Posse Comitatus Act, which explicitly limits presidential authority to use military forces for civilian policing within the United States. The president’s assertion of control over state National Guard units also violates traditional state sovereignty. Governors have historically maintained command authority over their own Guard forces except during federalization for overseas deployment or extreme national emergencies. And Trump’s repeated claims of unlimited executive authority, declaring “I have the right to do anything I want to do. I’m the President of the United States,” are a direct contradiction to constitutional principles of separation of powers that were specifically designed to prevent any single branch of government from accumulating unchecked authority.
Here are the signs a dictator is in control:
Early Warning Signs in Democratic Societies
Investigators being investigated: When leaders use law enforcement to target those who investigated them
Dehumanizing minority groups: Spreading vicious lies about immigrants, ethnic minorities, or other vulnerable populations
Media capture: Oligarchs friendly to the dictator dominating major media outlets
Normalizing political violence: Encouraging or failing to condemn attacks on opponents
Constitutional violations: Ignoring legal constraints and norms that limit executive power
Rejecting Democratic Rules: Dictators show weak commitment to democratic processes, including cancelling elections, violating constitutional norms, and banning opposition organizations. They demonstrate a willingness to curtail basic civil and political rights and may encourage violent insurrections.
Denying Legitimacy of Opponents: Authoritarian leaders treat political opposition as an existential threat rather than legitimate competitors. They label rivals as criminals, terrorists, or foreign agents without evidence, portraying them as subversive elements undermining the state.
Tolerating or Encouraging Violence: Dictators maintain ties to armed gangs, paramilitary forces, or other organizations that engage in illicit violence. They encourage mob attacks on opponents and refuse to condemn or punish those carrying out violence on their behalf.
Restricting Civil Liberties: They support laws that limit opponents’ freedoms, such as restrictive libel or defamation laws. Dictators threaten legal action against critics and praise repressive measures taken by other authoritarian governments worldwide.
Propaganda and Censorship: Dictators invest heavily in state propaganda while censoring independent media to control public perception of their competence.
Institutional Capture: Rather than destroying institutions outright, modern dictators capture and weaponize them, turning courts, law enforcement, and media into tools of control.
