Trump Makes Ominous Comments Amid Criticism of Overreach — "Maybe We Like a Dictator"
Trump has also been accused of making "authoritarian” moves.
Published Aug. 26 2025, 2:37 p.m. ET

When the President says something while seated behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, it carries weight. Not only is that person speaking with the weight of history, and all the Presidents who came before, but they're speaking on the fate of a nation and the world with which it is inexorably entangled.
So when comments come from the Oval Office that include casual references to a dictator, people tend to take note.
President Donald Trump made comments on August 25, 2025, that had people immediately slamming him, including the suggestion that people might actually want a dictator.
Here's what he said and why the comment is so concerning.

Trump's comments about dictators raise eyebrows everywhere.
The comments from Trump came as he fielded criticism about his decision to move national guard troops into Washington D.C., and then expanded those plans to include 19 other states. The reason, he says, is to combat crime. But critics see a dangerous overreach of power.
Illinois Governor and billionaire JB Pritzker warned Trump to stop sending troops to Chicago.
The Governor accused Trump of making "authoritarian” moves in an effort to “circumvent our democracy, militarize our cities, and end elections" (via The Independent).
Trump hit back later that same day, telling the press pool that JB's comments came because, "I said that Chicago should be next," calling it a "killing field." He accused Illinois politicians of "ignoring" the crime issue, then imitated them, saying, "We don't need him. Freedom, freedom."
He added, speaking of himself, "He's a dictator." Then Trump continued, "A lot of people are saying, 'Maybe we like a dictator'." He then clarified, "I don't like a dictator. I'm not a dictator. I'm a man with great common sense and a smart person."
Nonetheless, the comments drew immediate backlash.
Trump says people want a dictator, but is there any truth to the claim?
Political pundits and people all across the internet slammed his comments, calling his assertion that "many people" would like a dictator into question.
But how true is the statement? After all, as Huffington Post reported in 2011, fascism and dictatorships operate on the concept of being good salespeople. Those pushing these systems sell their vision and fear of the alternative to those who are susceptible.
So, are there actually Americans out there crying for a dictatorship?
Given the fact that the country is filled with diverse people from all backgrounds, it's reasonable to assume that at least a few people would be happy with the idea of a Trump dictatorship, or a dictatorship from a likeminded person. That's just a numbers game.
But the United States was founded on the principles of self-determination and the ability to participate in the democratic process. So the slide into a dictatorship requires leaving behind the very foundation that makes the United States what it is as a country.
Many historians are sounding alarm bells about Trump's second term in office and what they see as a quick slide into authoritarianism (per NPR), but whether or not someone considers Trump a "dictator" is as much about perception as definition.
Nonetheless, for a President to say such a thing so cavalierly behind the Resolute Desk is cause for concern, if democratic principles are of import.