Donald Trump has been branded a ‘dictator’ after telling a crowd of Christians they won’t have to vote again after this US election because in four years ‘we’ll have it fixed so good’.
The former president, who will face Kamala Harris in this November’s race for the White House, was speaking at an event organised by the conservative group Turning Point Action in Florida.
He said: ‘Christians, get out and vote, just this time. You won’t have to do it anymore. Four more years, you know what, it will be fixed, it will be fine, you won’t have to vote anymore, my beautiful Christians.’
Trump added: ‘I love you Christians. I’m a Christian. I love you, get out, you gotta get out and vote. In four years, you don’t have to vote again, we’ll have it fixed so good you’re not going to have to vote.’
It was not immediately clear what he meant by the remarks and Trump has not responded to requests for clarification of them.
But they come during a campaign in which the Democrats accuse him of being a threat to democracy following his attempt to overturn his 2020 loss to President Joe Biden.
That effort culminated in the deadly January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol.
In an interview with Fox News in December, Trump said that if he won the Nov. 5 election he would be a dictator, but only on ‘day one’ – to close the southern border with Mexico and expand oil drilling.
Trump has since said the remarks were a joke.
Jaime Harrison wrote on X: ‘The crazed ramblings from the Dictator on Day 1… he’s fixing it so “you won’t have to vote again.” You like your freedom?! You sure as hell better be ready to protect it! Get Registered and Vote!’
Luke Zaleski posted: ‘What is wrong with everyone who is pretending this maniac doesn’t want to be dictator?’
And Glenn Kirschner added: ‘This man is a criminal & an aspiring dictator. Our institutions of government should have addressed his criminality the minute he left office on 1/20/21.’
If Trump wins a second term in the White House, he can serve only four more years as president.
US presidents are limited to two terms, consecutive or not, under the U.S. Constitution.
In May, speaking at a National Rifle Association gathering, Trump quipped about serving more than two terms as president.
He referred to the presidency of Franklin D Roosevelt, a Democrat, the only president to serve more than two terms. The two-term limit was added after Roosevelt’s presidency.
‘You know, FDR, 16 years – almost 16 years – he was four terms. I don’t know, are we going to be considered three-term? Or two-term?’ Trump asked the NRA crowd.
Trump’s remarks on Friday pointed to the need for both parties to energise their base voters ahead of what will likely be a closely fought election.
He has enjoyed loyal support from evangelicals in the past two elections.
The race has abruptly tightened after the decision by Biden to end his re-election bid and with his vice president Harris becoming the presumptive Democratic nominee.
Recent opinion polls show Trump’s significant lead over Biden has been largely erased since the torch was passed to Harris.
Jason Singer, a Harris campaign spokesperson, in a statement did not directly address Trump’s remarks about Christians not having to vote again.
Singer described Trump’s overall speech as ‘bizarre’ and ‘backward looking’.
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