Former President Trump on Monday told a supporter they were “right” after they suggested “12 years of Trump” and nodded to his political opponents labeling him a “fascist.”
While at a rally in New Hampshire on the eve of the state’s primary, a Trump supporter shouted out, “12 years of Trump,” to which the former president responded, “Oh, you’re right. That’s very inter[esting].”
“Don’t say that too loudly loud, they’ll start saying, ‘He wants more, he’s a fascist!’” Trump continued. “You know, they love to call me a fascist.”
The remarks come amid concerns from Democrats and some Republicans that the former president would lead an authoritarian government if reelected to the White House. These concerns were brought to the forefront last month when Trump was pressed by Fox News anchor Sean Hannity over whether he would abuse power or serve as a “dictator” if he wins another term in the Oval Office.
Trump initially avoided directly answering the question. When asked a second time, the former president said, “Except for day one,” noting he would do so to secure the southern border and begin drilling in the U.S. “After that, I’m not a dictator,” he then added.
He doubled down on these remarks days later, further fueling concerns of what a Trump White House could look like after 2024.
A poll in the following days showed over half, or 56 percent, of all voters believe Trump would act like a dictator if reelected to office.
Several Republicans appeared to shrug over Trump’s dictator comments at the time, while the White House and Democrats repeatedly sounded the alarm.
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Trump also came under fire in November when he compared his political enemies to “vermin” who needed to be exposed, leading critics to compare him to past dictators.
His most recent remarks came on the eve of the first-in-the-nation New Hampshire primary, in which he will face off against his main challenger, former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley.
Haley trails Trump by 13.9 points in the Granite State heading into the primary, according to a polling index maintained by The Hill and Decision Desk HQ.
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