Dem
51
GOP
49
In a town hall in Iowa, Sean Hannity asked Donald Trump: "You are promising America tonight you would never abuse power as retribution against anybody?" Trump replied: "Except for Day One." What could he do on Day One? Well, maybe pardon himself and all the people arrested in the Jan. 6 coup attempt, plus everyone in his first administration. Then sign 50 executive orders the Heritage Foundation has prepared for him, many of which would be illegal. How about appointing an acting AG who then ordered Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, and a whole bunch of Trump's other opponents arrested? When Hannity asked him to clarify his remark, he said he would shut down the Mexican border and allow oil drilling on federal lands. It could be a busy first day.
Needless to say, the Biden campaign pounced on this. Campaign manager Julie Chávez Rodríguez said: "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 himself said: "Trump's not even hiding the ball anymore. He's telling us exactly what he wants to do. He's making no bones about it." Biden is surely going to use "Democracy or Dictatorship? Your call." as a campaign slogan.
Many of Trump's supporters will no doubt say the "dictator" remark was a joke, like killing someone on Fifth Avenue. But some of them may not find it so funny. In states where the difference between the candidates is 1%, losing even 2% of your supporters is a very big deal. (V)