Sitting in the Oval Office, flanked by adoring aides standing stiffly at attention, Donald Trump yesterday announced: “A lot of people are saying maybe we’d like a dictator.” The remark, delivered with his trademark mixture of menace and showmanship, might have been dismissed as yet another provocation — except that Trump immediately reinforced the point by declaring his intention to disregard Congress and federal law.
View in browser ([link removed] )
NL-Header_DD-Premium2 ([link removed] )
August 26, 2025
Sitting in the Oval Office, flanked by adoring aides standing stiffly at attention, Donald Trump yesterday announced: “A lot of people are saying maybe we’d like a dictator.”
The remark, delivered with his trademark mixture of menace and showmanship, might have been dismissed as yet another provocation — except that Trump immediately reinforced the point by declaring his intention to disregard Congress and federal law.
After musing about renaming the Department of Defense as the “Department of War,” a reporter noted that such a change would require congressional approval. Trump brushed aside the objection: “We are just going to do it,” before adding, “I’m sure Congress will go along if we need that.”
Here, in a single exchange, Trump revealed both his contempt for the rule of law and his calculation that the Republican-controlled Congress will not restrain him. Sadly, on both counts, he is correct.
His administration has repeatedly demonstrated its willingness to trample legal and constitutional limits without hesitation. Meanwhile...
You’re reading a shortened premium newsletter from Democracy Docket founder Marc Elias. Upgrade today to stand with the pro-democracy movement and get Marc’s full analysis on: ([link removed] )
- Trump’s chilling embrace of dictatorship and Congress’ silence
- How the firing of a Federal Reserve governor defies the law and endangers the economy
- Why Gov. Pritzker offers a model for resisting authoritarianism
- How media normalization accelerates democratic decline
JOIN THE FIGHT
([link removed] )
Facebook ([link removed] )
X ([link removed] )
Instagram ([link removed] )
Bluesky_Logo-grey (2) ([link removed] )
YouTube ([link removed] )
Website ([link removed] )
TikTok ([link removed] )
We also understand that not everyone is able to make this commitment, which is why our free daily and weekly newsletters aren’t going anywhere! If you prefer not to receive samples of our premium content and only want our free daily and weekly newsletters, you can manage your preferences ([link removed] ) or unsubscribe ([link removed] ) .
Donate ([link removed] )
Democracy Docket, LLC
250 Massachusetts Avenue, Suite 400
Washington, D.C., 20009
