Dec 5, 2023 - Politics & Policy

Hannity asks Trump to promise he wouldn’t abuse power

Erin Doherty

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at a commit to caucus campaign event at the Whiskey River bar on December 02, 2023 in Ankeny, Iowa. — Former President Trump speaks at a commit to caucus campaign event at the Whiskey River bar on Dec. 2 in Ankeny, Iowa. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images

Fox News' Sean Hannity asked former President Trump to promise to the American people during a town hall event on Tuesday night that he would not abuse his power if he is elected president.

Driving the news: The comments during the town hall in Davenport, Iowa, come as multiple media outlets have published stories in recent days warning of a "Trump dictatorship" if he is elected a second term.

Hannity asked Trump: "Under no circumstances, you are promising America tonight you would never abuse power as retribution against anybody?"
"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."
"We're closing the border and we're drilling, drilling, drilling. After that, I'm not a dictator," Trump said.

The big picture: Trump's inflammatory rhetoric on the 2024 campaign trail against his political enemies has been compared by some to the rhetoric of fascist dictators, Axios' Zach Basu reported.

Trump's allies have condemned the warnings and dismissed them.
"Dems & their media allies have given up on debating issues & have shifted to name-calling & rhetorical fearmongering," senior Trump adviser Jason Miller wrote on the social media platform X.

Go deeper: Trump unleashes grievances, warnings in wild 24 hours on Truth Social

Add Axios on Google

Hannity asks Trump to promise he wouldn’t abuse power

What to read next