Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. As Donald Trump emerged as a convicted criminal from a New York court, he claimed the trial had politically targeted him, that the judge was conflicted, and, “our whole country is being rigged”. “I’m a very innocent man,” he remarked.
“And it’s OK, I’m fighting for our country. I’m fighting for our constitution.” The remarks were typical Trump: bravado, bullish and invoking a supposed struggle to wrest control of a nation under siege.
In December he went as far as to suggest he would employ special powers to make himself a dictator for a day. He told a TV presenter that on day one of a new presidency, “We’re closing the border, and we’re drilling, drilling, drilling,” referring to Mexico and oil exploration. “After that, I’m not a dictator.
” He later said he was joking. But when asked if he thought the comments could scare people, he replied: “I think a lot of people like it.” Pro-Trump protesters gather at the US Capitol building in January 2021 Credit: GETTY IMAGES, DIGITALLY TINTED The New York conviction only ups the ante.
If Trump does get re-elected, what kind of leader will he be? “Trump was fairly committed in his presidency to pushing the boundaries of executive power as far as he possibly could,” says John Hart, an emeritus professor of American politics and former head of department at ANU. “My guess is after four years out of the job, if he does come back, h.