What is a dictator, and does Trump fit the definition in words and deeds? Yes. There are many definitions of what a dictator and a dictatorship are. I found two that were comprehensive and clearly stated. Using those two as measures and citing prior postings and sources from this blog and some new ones, Trump meets every criterion for becoming a dictator in what he is proposing to do in a second term, and there is even a record of what he wanted, tried, succeeded and failed to do in his first term that was similar.
Encylopedia Britannica "Dictators usually resort to force or fraud to gain despotic political power, which they maintain through the use of intimidation, terror, and the suppression of basic civil liberties. They may also employ techniques of mass propaganda in order to sustain their public support."
https://study.com/learn/lesson/what-is-a-dictatorship.html. Dictatorship | Definition, Examples & Characteristics - Study.com
- Ruler often rises to power out of conflict.
- . ..Dictators control all branches of government and the media.
- Intimidation, murder, imprisonment, violence and other human rights abuses are used to control the population.
- A cult of personality makes the ruler appear divine
- 1.Did he or does he use fraud to gain power
In Colorado, on December 8, 2023, there was an explosive report by Kyle Clark, KUSA, a local station, about threats and politics of election denialists that shows how MAGA lies are used to seize control of the election processes on a local government level. . Next Conversation: Head of Colorado's County Clerks Association talks election rigging lies - YouTube This is a prelude to Trump's attempt at the Big Lie again to stay in power if he ever gets elected again, and it is his pretext for Trump loyalists to control the entire election process from registration, to voter access, to vote casting, to tabulation, and to reporting at the exclusion of any opponents in the process. It is the end of free and fair elections if he succeeds is doing this throughout the country, and the attempt is already underway, as this Colorado GOP attempt illustrates. The message: elections are already corrupt (the Big Lie), not free or fair, so why not put your MAGA buddy in charge. MUFTIC FORUM BLOG: An election denier will now be the Colorado state GOP chair Update 3 12 2023 Note: a critic of the Big Lie, Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO), was a casualty himself. He will not run for re-election in a ruby-red district.
Trump has used fraud to make himself look more successful based on civil fraud committed in New York State. He pumped up the value of his property to such ridiculous heights the judge already ruled his real estate company had committed fraud. Now the civil trial is in the penalty stage to decide fines and damage awards.
Will he use the big lie to overturn any election he loses? Trump promises he will.
Massive fraud in elections allows for "termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution" (12/4,/2023) Source: Bulwark, https://open.substack.com/pub/thebulwark/p/most-aspiring-dictators-try-to-hide
Liz Cheney warns Trump will never leave office if he's elected president again (nbcnews.com)
2.Does he use intimidation and terror? That's his "second name". Fear of being primaried controls the GOP legislators, federal to state to elected election officials (above) as in the Colorado County Clerk story..
Trump plans to use active-duty military forces to deal with growing protests (militarytimes.com) Use of military force to put down demonstrations is at the top of his list of tools of intimidation in his toolkit. For that power, he will simply invoke the insurrection act. He promises to invoke the insurrection act on day one when he takes office so he can force or demand the active military to put down opposition demonstrations. Trump Could Legally Quell Protests With Military: Former Defense Secretary (newsweek.com)
. He has promised to use the Department of Justice to persecute/prosecute indict political opponents. Using the Department of Justice to kick opponents out of an election: 11/9/2023. If he sees someone beating him badly, he would tell the DOJ to "go down and indict them"" Bulwark, above.
Will he use violence to gain power and to keep it? January 6 was the first attempt, as he refused to call off the rioters he had promised could have a wild time. (This is the stuff of the Jack Smith indictment and upcoming trial, but there have already been books written about this with sworn testimony, etc. One judge in Colorado has already ruled in a civil trial that he was guilty, but that is on appeal. MUFTIC FORUM BLOG: Will Trump be kicked off the Colorado ballot? It is more possible than I thought.)
He has a long record of supporting political violence. MUFTIC FORUM BLOG: Trump fans the flames of violence, yet calls himself the law and order president updated
3. Has he or will he suppress civil liberties?
In a second term, he promises to rewrite the Constitution to eliminate them, particularly in the right of citizens to vote freely and fairly, for starters, as above. However, his treatment of undocumented immigrants is both cruel and inhumane and will be challenged. Many immigrant families contain both "documented" and "undocumented" and Dreamers. He particularly singles out the Muslim ban, simply banning otherwise qualified immigrants on the basis of their religion. There is a long list of amendments to the Constitution, almost all of which support civil liberties that would be in jeopardy related to voters' rights, freedom of the press and non-discrimination. Voter suppression efforts would be on steroids. Trump calls for the termination of the Constitution in Truth Social post | CNN Politics
4. Does he use propaganda and control of media? He is the 21st-century master of it; a genius at it, as well, using such techniques as whenever he is accused of doing a bad deed, he turns it back on the accuser (call me a fascist, and I will call you one, etc. call me destroying democracy but it is you that is doing it, etc.)), he whips up the crowds with fear of "others", with racist dog whistles and double speak, carefully crafted statements that could be taken two ways (come to DC and we will have a wild time invitations to violent militia members), one inciting violence while appearing not to (January 6, case in point, or as in the Stormy Daniels saga and suit. where he got named as an unnamed co-conspirator). He has those devoted to him believe all media except those outlets that he approves as providing fake news promoted by politics. Doublespeak?https://grist.org/politics/from-doublespeak-to-alternative-facts-how-trump-made-a-mess-of-the-language/
Would he do it in a second term? Yes. He plans to replace FCC commissioners to yank licenses of media outlets who opposed him. He plans to shut down media critical of him. Donald Trump Wants Federal Government To “Come Down Hard” On MSNBC – Deadline Could Donald Trump claim a national security threat to shut down the internet? | Brookings
5. Does he control all branches of government?
Not quite yet. If elected, he could.
The GOP in the current House of Representatives, the majority by 4 votes, is controlled by MAGA and his loyalists. He maintains that control by threats of being "primaried". The House Majority leader, Mike Johnson, is about as extremely pro-Trump as anyone in the House, and he played a role in January 6 in the fake electors scheme.
Does he control the Judiciary? In his first term, he engineered the complete takeover of the Supreme Court with his appointees he approved. So far, there is little indication that the three new court members will show independence and instead return the favor. We can hope the court will show support for democracy as these various suits and criminal cases accusing Trump of crimes or civil liability land in their laps. The worst case scenario: no trial or verdict will occur until after the 2024 elections, so voters on the fence will be deprived of the information they need to make a rational choice.
Trump's disdain for the rule of law is driving him into a rage, and there is nothing he would rather do than make sure he is above the law. That, many think, is even why he is running again, to get out from legal action that would put him in jail by forcing the DOJ to drop prosecutions and to be able to pardon himself if he was convicted. To do that would require his making the rule of law, the rule of Trump. MUFTIC FORUM BLOG: So what's the big deal about the rule of law
Executive branch: He plans to eliminate civil service jobs and replace them with those who pass whatever litmus test of loyalty to him. Pledges to support the Constitution are meaningless. He tried that in his first term, and he plans to do it in his second through Plan 2025, already being executed by the Heritage Foundation.
MUFTIC FORUM BLOG: What Trump plans for his second term and how he will do it
He has already indicated he will replace the brass in the military, Department of Justice, and many regulatory bodies with loyalists to him. Can he do it? Yes, he can.
He has made it a practice to belittle the judicial system and the rule of law, showing contempt at every opportunity, claiming all actions against him are lies and politically motivated evidence notwithstanding, violating gag orders, throwing challenges and delays into the system until after the Nov 2024 elections, claiming executive privilege when there is none, and pledging to pardon every criminal participant in the January 6 attempted coup and himself. He contends he is above the law, that laws are not subject to him as a president (or a former president, or that his interpretation is the correct one and interpretations by justices, judges, and their staffs are faulty and politically biased. The question becomes in a second term, if a court rules against him, will he obey it or ignore it, and then who enforces it? In short, the rule of law will be replaced by the rule of law according to Trump and his appointed loyalists for their benefit. Trump calls for the termination of the Constitution in Truth Social post | CNN Politics
6. Is he a cult? Do his followers treat him like the second coming? Do they take whatever he says as the truth, and mimic back his latest words as the gospel? So much has been written about this already, but the following journalists put it all together. Trump's MAGA Movement Is An Internet Era Cult (substack.com) Donald Trump Shares Post Proclaiming Him Second Only to Jesus (businessinsider.com)
Trump defends dictator comments amid NYC soiree filled with MAGA diehards - POLITICO and doubles down on his earlier claim he wanted to be a dictator on day one, while calling charges he wants to be a dictator, a Democrat hoax. Sorry, Trump. The original sound bite is in the can, soon to be an attack ad in the 2024 presidential election season.
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