Trump vows not to abuse power or rule U.S. as dictator 'except for day one'

Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday, during a one-hour forum with Fox News's Sean Hannity in Davenport, Iowa, addressed mounting media criticism that he would abuse his authority as president should he return to the White House in early 2025.

When pressed by Fox News's Sean Hannity about his past vows of "retribution" and media headlines asserting the nation was "sleepwalking into a Trump dictatorship," Trump quipped that he had no plans to assume dictatorial powers or abuse his office "except for day one."

"We're closing the border and we're drilling, drilling, drilling. Other than that I'm not gonna be a dictator," he said, prompting chuckles from an amused Hannity. Trump made the remarks during a one-hour forum in Davenport, Iowa.

The former president further indicated he was optimistic about his prospects of victory in 2024, saying "I feel great. I feel it has to be. If it's not, we're gonna be in big trouble. We're not gonna have a country anymore."

Of his myriad criminal indictments, Trump contrasted his situation with that of notorious gangster Al Capone, saying "he got indicted once, I got indicted four times."

"They could have done this three years ago and it would have been long over... they saw how well we're doing in the polls," he went on.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.