Revisiting one of Donald Trump's worst campaign moments

Donald Trump has had many interesting interviews. However, one of his more recent sitdowns with the media was also one of his worst politically, he admitted something that worried a lot of Americans.

In a wide-ranging interview that touched on everything from the former president’s views on abortion rights to his plan to deport millions of people if elected, Trump really showed why so many should be concerned if he is reelected to the White House. 

There was one moment in Trump’s interview that hammered home the idea he could be bad for democracy. Trump was asked about comments he made about being a dictator for a day and clarified what he really meant. 

“You said you only want to be dictator for a day. What did you mean by that?” the former president was asked by Time, to which he replied the remark was meant as a sarcastic “as seen on Sean Hannity” Trump explained to the magazine. 

“He said, “Do you want to be a dictator?” I said, “Only for one day. I want to close up the border and I want to drill, baby, drill.’ Then I said, “After that, then I never want to be a dictator.’”  Trump explained about his worrying comment. 

Trump continued by explaining that his remarks were “said sarcastically”  and that it was “meant as a joke,” adding: “Everybody knows that.” However, Time did not let the former president off that easily and pressed him on the comment. 

“Do you see why—okay, you say you were joking, but do you see why,” the interviewer began before being cut off by Trump who wanted to say a little more. “If you read it, it was a joke. I wanted to be for one day. You know why?” Trump asked. 

The former president then went on to explain that the United States was being led by “an incompetent fool” who was allowing people to come into the country. But that was not the only criticism Trump leveled against Joe Biden, whom he was still running against at the time. 

“We have an incompetent fool that drove energy prices so high over such a short period of time. And by the way, you know, he's gone to a lot of my policies now. But the day after the election, if they win, there won't be any more oil,” Trump explained. 

The Time interviewer went on to ask the former president if he could see why so many Americans saw his remarks about becoming a dictator and suspending the constitution as “contrary to our most cherished democratic principles” but was cut off by Trump. 

“I think a lot of people like it,” Trump said in reference to his comments. After the Time interviewer finished their question, the former president said he thought the press saw his comments as contrary to America’s principles because they didn’t understand them. 

“I think the press does. Not because they don’t understand it. They understand it as well as you do, as well as anybody does. That was said in fun, in jest, sarcastically,” Trump said. Later adding that he didn’t know why his comments scared people. 

Trump was also clear that after making his remark he added: “After that, I don't want to be a dictator” and was adamant that “nobody reports that” and said he hoped that Time would report it. “Because that was said,” the former president explained.

When Trump was told that his comments scared people, he stated: “I don't understand why it would. Everybody. Anybody that saw it would say I was laughing. He [Sean Hannity] was laughing. The whole place was laughing. You know, it was a town hall?”

The conversation then turned to a different topic but the exchange was a revelation in how the former president views what he says to the public, and may be an indication that his understanding of what the American people like to hear is slightly skewed.

While those who attend Trump’s rallies may like to hear the former president joke about being a dictator for a day, there is a large segment of voters who won’t be won over by such comments, even if Trump was joking about his desire to be a dictator. 

In February 2024, the University of Massachusetts Amherst released findings from a poll about Trump's dictator comments revealed 6 in 10 thought it would be “definitely” or “probably” bad for the country while three-quarters of Republicans said it would be “definitely” or “probably” good according to The Washington Post’s review of the poll.

“Not since the Civil War have freedom and democracy been under assault at home as they are today – because of Donald Trump,” Biden-Harris 2024 Spokesperson James Singer said about Trump’s comments to Time according to the Boston Herald.

“Trump is willing to throw away the very idea of America to put himself in power. In his own words, he is promising to rule as a dictator on ‘day one,’... Bottom line: Trump is a danger to the Constitution and a threat to our democracy,” Singer added.

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