Republican nominee Donald Trump disputed his opponents’ claims of him preparing to become a want-to-be dictator on Sunday as he confirmed he does not plan to run again if he loses in the upcoming 2024 election.
Trump told journalist Sharyl Attkisson that he does not envision himself running for re-election if he loses to Vice President Kamala Harris in November. The liberal media and anti-Trump politicians have warned that the former president will end American democracy and refuse to leave office if he reenters office.
“If you’re not successful this time, do you see yourself running again in 4 years?” Attkisson asked during the interview.
“No, I don’t,” Trump replied. “I think that will be it. I don’t see that at all. I think, hopefully we’re gonna be successful.”
A report from April found that independent voters have grown concerned that Trump will refuse to step down from the presidency once his term expires, according to Bloomberg. President Joe Biden’s administration and the liberal media have repeatedly warned that Trump is a “threat to democracy,” and may end free and fair elections by remaining in office.
Former Republican Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney said there is “no question” that Trump will attempt to remain in office beyond 4 years if he is re-elected during a Dec. 4 interview with NBC News.
“I think it’s a very, very real threat and concern,” Cheney said. “And I don’t say any of that lightly and frankly, it’s painful for me as someone who has spent her whole life in Republican politics, who grew up as a Republican to watch what’s happening to my party and to watch the extent to which Donald Trump himself has basically determined that the only thing that matters is him, his power and his success.”
Republican Arizona Mayor John Giles warned during a July 30 interview on CNN that Americans will never see another election again if Trump is re-elected.
“No, I don’t,” Giles said when asked if Trump would ever leave office. “You know, as I was writing this op-ed that ran in The Arizona Republic this morning, I remember, at one point, I had a phrase in the op-ed where I said, if Donald Trump is elected, I fear this might be the last free and fair election of my lifetime. And I struck it out because I thought, you know what, that’s a little hyperbolic. That’s more than needs to be said.”
“And then, you know, he makes this statement saying that once I’m elected and I’m enthroned, you know, we won’t need elections any longer. So, sometimes, Donald Trump says the quiet part out loud, and we have to believe him,” Giles continued.
Democrats condemned Trump’s remark from July 26 where he told supporters they “will not have to vote again” after he is re-elected. Democratic Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal called the former president’s statement “terrifying” in a July 26 post on “X,” while New York Rep. Daniel Goldman said Trump will “become a dictator.”
A Trump campaign spokesperson told The Washington Post that the former president was talking about “uniting this country” and ending the “divisive political environment.”
MSNBC anchor Nicolle Wallace claimed during a Feb. 26 segment that Trump will “give authoritarianism a try” if he is re-elected. MSNBC legal analyst Glenn Kirschner argued in a June 22 segment that Trump will become a dictator if he is reelected and destroy American democracy, resulting in him possibly never stepping down from office.
MSNBC host Joy Reid claimed in 2019 that it is possible that Trump would use foreign influence to remain in power. HBO host and comedian Bill Maher made the same argument during a June 11, 2019, segment on CNN.
“…A lot of people are talking about now is that if he loses — Trump — he won’t go,” Maher said. “I’ve been saying that since before he got elected, that if he loses the second time — if he loses the coming election … I think that we have to worry about because a lot of people say yes, it can happen here, meaning fascism — meaning something other than democracy. Now, I think we’re already there.”
The former president made a similar remark before the 2020 election, telling supporters in Fayetteville, North Carolina, that they will “never see [him] again” if he lost to then-2020 presidential candidate Biden.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
