U.S. President Donald Trump insisted Monday that he is not a dictator, even as he expanded his federal grip on Washington and unveiled plans to prosecute those who burn the American flag.
“They say ‘we don’t need him. Freedom, freedom. He’s a dictator. He’s a dictator.’ A lot of people are saying: ‘Maybe we like a dictator,'” Trump told reporters during a marathon Oval Office session. “I don’t like a dictator. I’m not a dictator. I’m a man with great common sense and a smart person.”
The 79-year-old president’s defiance came in an 80-minute event filled with sharp attacks on critics, sweeping new directives, and frequent digressions. Trump signed an executive order mandating jail time for flag-burning, tightened security controls in Washington, and promised to rename the Pentagon the “Department of War,” reviving its historic pre-1947 title.
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“If you burn a flag you get one year in jail — no early exits, no nothing,” he declared.
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The president’s measures follow his earlier decision this month to place the National Guard in charge of the capital and assume federal control over its police. He has also floated sending troops into Chicago and Baltimore, and in June ordered the Guard into Los Angeles despite resistance from local leaders.
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Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, one of Trump’s fiercest critics, accused him of abusing presidential authority. At a press conference, Pritzker branded Trump “a wannabe dictator” who “wants to use the military to occupy a US city, punish his dissidents, and score political points.”
Trump brushed aside the backlash. “You send them, and instead of being praised, they’re saying, ‘you’re trying to take over the Republic,'” he said. “These people are sick.”
Throughout the Oval Office appearance, Trump alternated between boasting of his record and lashing out at opponents. He dismissed accusations of racism by proclaiming, “I love Black People,” before describing a Salvadoran immigrant facing deportation as an “animal.” He also mocked his predecessor, calling Joe Biden a “moron,” and blamed Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine on “big personality conflicts.”
The president’s long speech veered into unexpected territory at times, including a complaint about not being appreciated for efforts to combat an invasive fish species in the Great Lakes.
Despite railing against accusations of authoritarianism, Trump again praised foreign strongmen, including North Korea’s Kim Jong Un. “I’d like to have a meeting. I get along great with him,” Trump said of Kim, recalling their earlier encounters.
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Trump has faced repeated charges of exceeding constitutional limits, especially after his decision to deploy troops in the capital. Yet he insisted that his actions stem from “common sense,” not authoritarian ambition.
