Former President Donald Trump declined to rule out abusing power if he returns to the White House after Fox News Channel host Sean Hannity asked him Tuesday to respond to growing Democratic criticism of his rhetoric. The GOP presidential front-runner has talked about targeting his rivals — referring to them as “vermin” — and vowed to seek retribution if he wins a second term for what he argues are politically motivated prosecutions against him. As Trump has dominated the Republican presidential primary, President Joe Biden has stepped up his own warnings, contending Trump is “ determined to destroy American democracy.”
Quick Read
- Trump’s Response to Hannity’s Question: Former President Donald Trump, in an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, did not categorically rule out abusing power if he returns to the White House. Trump’s response included plans to “close the border and drill, drill, drill” on his first day.
- Trump’s Rhetoric and Biden’s Criticism: Trump’s rhetoric about targeting political rivals has been a point of contention, with President Joe Biden warning that Trump is determined to undermine American democracy.
- Trump’s Plans for a Second Term: Trump has outlined broad plans if re-elected, including firing large sections of the federal bureaucracy and going after his rivals, alarming Democrats.
- Biden’s Campaign Strategy: The Biden campaign is using Trump’s statements and plans as a central argument in the election, with Biden emphasizing the threat to democratic institutions.
- Criminal Charges Against Trump: Trump is facing criminal charges related to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, which he has repeatedly claimed are politically motivated.
- Trump’s Accusations Against Biden: Trump accuses Biden of being the “destroyer of American democracy” and misusing the federal justice system. He has vowed to prosecute Biden if he wins the presidency.
- Hannity’s Interview Approach: Hannity, a longtime supporter of Trump, appears to use his interviews to guide Trump towards politically beneficial statements.
- Trump Skipping GOP Debate: Trump plans to miss the upcoming GOP debate, opting for a fundraiser in Florida instead. This follows his pattern of skipping debates and dominating the GOP primary race.
- DeSantis and Haley in the Race: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley are seen as Trump’s main rivals in the GOP primary, with DeSantis focusing on Iowa and Haley gaining momentum from debate performances.
- DeSantis’ Challenge to Trump: DeSantis has urged Trump to participate in debates and actively campaigned across Iowa.
- Trump’s Visit to Davenport Pub: After the interview, Trump visited a pub in Davenport, Iowa, where he interacted with patrons and signed “Make America Great Again” hats.
The Associated Press has the story:
Trump declines to rule out abusing power to seek retribution if he wins in 2024
Newslooks- NEW YORK (AP)
Former President Donald Trump declined to rule out abusing power if he returns to the White House after Fox News Channel host Sean Hannity asked him Tuesday to respond to growing Democratic criticism of his rhetoric.
The GOP presidential front-runner has talked about targeting his rivals — referring to them as “vermin” — and vowed to seek retribution if he wins a second term for what he argues are politically motivated prosecutions against him. As Trump has dominated the Republican presidential primary, President Joe Biden has stepped up his own warnings, contending Trump is “ determined to destroy American democracy.”
“Under no circumstances, you are promising America tonight, you would never abuse power as retribution against anybody?” Hannity asked Trump in the interview taped in Davenport, Iowa.
Trump then repeated his assertion. “I love this guy,” he said of the Fox News host. “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.’”
Earlier in the interview, Hannity had asked Trump if he “in any way” had “any plans whatsoever, if reelected president, to abuse power, to break the law to use the government to go after people.”
“You mean like they’re using right now?” Trump replied.
Trump’s campaign rhetoric and sweeping plans for a second term that include firing large swaths of the federal bureaucracy and targeting his rivals have alarmed Democrats and become a chief election argument for Biden as he prepares for a potential rematch against Trump.
“Donald Trump has been telling us exactly what he will do if he’s reelected and tonight he said he will be a dictator on day one. Americans should believe him,” Biden campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez said in a statement.
At a series of fundraisers Tuesday, Biden again warned that Trump and his allies are out to “destroy” democratic institutions as he assailed the GOP front-runner, who tried to overturn the results of the 2020 election and is facing criminal charges connected to those efforts.
Trump, meanwhile, has tried to turn the tables on Biden and argued in a Saturday speech in Iowa that the president is the real “destroyer of American democracy” as he repeated his longstanding contention that the four criminal indictments against him show Biden is misusing the federal justice system to damage his chief political rival.
Trump has promised to prosecute Biden if he wins.
Hannity, a longtime Trump supporter and adviser, has often seemed to use his interviews to coach the former president to say things that will benefit him politically. The questions Tuesday appeared to be another example of those efforts.
The event had been advertised as a town hall the day before Trump’s leading rivals gather at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa for the fourth GOP debate. While town halls typically feature audience questions, only Hannity asked questions of Trump on Tuesday. He taped a similar interview with Trump in July.
Trump is once again planning to skip the debate and will spend the evening at a fundraiser in Florida instead.
Trump has been dominating his rivals both nationally and in Iowa, which will kick off the election with its caucuses on Jan. 15. That includes Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has staked his campaign on the first-in-the-nation contest, and former United nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, who has been gaining momentum following a series of well-reviewed performances at the debates.
DeSantis, who on Saturday completed his campaign promise to visit each of Iowa’s 99 counties, has repeatedly called on Trump to join the debates.
“Get out of your dungeon. Get off the keyboard, stand on the debate stage and let’s go,” he said Tuesday in Florida.
After the taping, Trump visited the Front Street Pub & Eatery in Davenport, where he stopped by tables and signed red “Make America Great Again” hats, according to video of the event.
