Donald Trump has a new plan for his next term in office, if he wins in 2024. He will be Dictator on Day 1! Then he will give up this power after he crams his policy goals into inauguration day mandates and decrees.

Fox personality Sean Hannity interviewed Trump recently, to give him a chance to debunk allegations that the former President had plans to use the power of the Presidency to punish his enemies and perceived enemies.

According to Axios Media, Hannity asked Trump: “Under no circumstances, you are promising America tonight you would never abuse power as retribution against anybody?” Trump replied “Only on Day1!” He asserted that he wants to “…build the wall and drill, baby, drill.”

“Except for day one,” Trump said. “I want to close the border and I want to drill, drill, drill.”

“That’s not retribution,” Hannity said.

Trump replied: “I love this guy, he says, ‘you’re not going to be a dictator are you?’ I said no, no, no, other than day one.”

Trump has since adopted his off the cuff answer as his new campaign theme. A day after the interview, Trump spoke at a campaign rally, and told his supporters that he wants “to be a dictator for one day, to build the wall and drill, baby, drill.”

When I was young, there was a television show titled “Queen for a Day.” Every day, five days a week, the show would choose from several contestants a housewife, giving a profile of her life, with mentions of problems she might be facing. The chosen contestant would be crowned “Queen” for a day, and given an assortment of prizes at least partly personalized to deal with some of her problems and make her life easier. A washing machine, a new stove and similar prizes would make up her winnings.

The next day, another housewife would be chosen “Queen” with her own prizes, but no power, dictatorial or otherwise. A new Queen each day, five days a week. Rotation in office, no sore losers with window breaking supporters.

Donald Trump is no more qualified to be a housewife than he is to be President. A look at how he stores classified documents at Mar a Lago shows his unfitness for either position.

Certainly, the Donald would find the role of housewife too limited in the powers he wants, especially the power to destroy his enemies. Now it seems, Trump finds the role of President too limited in power, and he dreams of being a Dictator, if only for one day.

Presidents in the past often wanted more power than that granted them by the Constitution of the United States.

In the early 20th Century, Theodore Roosevelt took more power even without taking America into a war. The War Presidents – Woodrow Wilson, Franklin D Roosevelt, Harry Truman, and Lyndon Johnson all worked to expand their power in war and in peace.

In the 21st Century, George W Bush combined a program of expanded federal power over education and social policy, with greater expansion of police power after 9/11 and declaration of a ” War on Terror” as well as real wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. A Republican, his affinity for federal power places him in the company of his fellow Texan Lyndon Johnson.

Donald Trump has on several occasions suggested that a military attack on Iran might be justified, if such a war would help him get re-elected. Just prior to November 2020, he contemplated ordering an attack on Iran in a last minute bid to defeat Joe Biden. He has exercised executive power to withdraw from the North American Free Trade Agreement, and to stop US entry into the Trans Pacific Partnership.

Trump as President and as wannabe President has often promised more than he can deliver – as have other Presidents and wannabes. The promises often imply rule by decree rather than making decisions with consent of Congress. He now wants to be “Dictator” for one day – to build a wall on the border with Mexico. In the four years he held office, he could not get the wall built. Can he now get a wall built in one day?

The idea of “Dictator for a Day” implies that on Day 2, President Trump would give up the power of a Dictator. Yet it is clear that Donald Trump does not believe in term limits. When he was President, and thought he would be re-elected, he talked up the idea of dispensing with the Constitution, with that pesky amendment that limits Presidents to two terms.

When President Trump was defeated in 2020, he refused to accept defeat, as every previous President had done, and tried to refuse to tranfer power. The violent attempt at a coup on January 6, 2021 was undertaken for the purpose of keeping the defeated Donald Trump in the White House. If this is his response after four years, why would anyone think that Trump the Dictator would give up power after one day?

Who among Republicans in Congress or at the Republican National Committee, would have courage on Day 2 to suggest to Trump that he give up the power he so dearly wants?

The Constitution of the Roman Republic provided for the temporary appointment of a Dictator, to serve the Republic during wartime, or deal with civil unrest. The Dictator would serve for six months, then surrender the power. Several times, a former Consul would be called upon to hold this power, and they would accordingly surrender the power as called for in the Roman Constitution.

In 44 BCE, General Julius Caesar led his troops inside the city walls of Rome, in violation of the Constitution. Backed by his troops, he demanded power. He was made Consul for ten years – the normal term was six months – and appointed Dictator for Life.

In response, a group of Senators took action to end his term in both offices early. The Dictatorship was ended. But soon the Roman Republic came under control of the successors of Julius Caesar, who took the title of Caesar and assumed power over the Roman Empire.

The American Republic faces danger now, and now is the time to defend Republican Liberty. I don’t want to wait til January 2025 to find out if any Republican has the courage to tell Donald Trump that he is not qualified to be President, or Dictator. Is there a Republican Congressman or a member of the Republican National Committee with the courage to stand for America and tell Trump he is not qualified to lead America in any capacity? (by Gene Berkman, Editor, The California Libertarian Report)