Donald Trump has stated that he does not care if people call him a tyrant and that he could be a dictator if he wanted to be.
Posted by Robinson's Podcast, Checked
- Sources
- 5 support3 context
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 70%
Robinson's PodcastSep 23, 2026
Sources show Trump repeatedly saying he would be a dictator 'for one day' or 'on day one,' and a 2026 Daily Beast report quotes him saying he doesn't mind being called a 'brilliant tyrant dictator.' The claim's gist holds, though no source uses the exact 'if he wanted to be' phrasing and the sources frame the dictator remark as limited.
The host relays this claim without endorsing it. It counts as passed on, not against the post.
What was said
… So Trump is a very natural mob boss, which makes Trump a very natural fascist leader. I think Trump is perfectly aware that he's targeting democracy. He has said, I believe, that, if I'm not mistaken, he said that he doesn't care if people call him a tyrant, and he could be a dictator if he wanted to be, and, you know, he says that stuff all the time. He engages in very clear dictatorial behavior. Ah, he's perfectly aware of all this. He admires dictators, that sort of thing. …
Robinson's Podcast · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Supports. A 2026 Daily Beast report quotes Trump saying 'I don't mind being called a brilliant tyrant dictator,' which supports the claim that he does not care if people call him a tyrant.[3]
Supports. Trump said at a 2023 New York Young Republican Club event, 'I said I want to be a dictator for one day,' supporting the claim that he has said he could be a dictator.[2][4]
Supports. A 2026 Truthout report says Trump told Sean Hannity he would like to be a dictator for a short period, and quotes him in January 2026 saying 'sometimes you need a dictator.'[5][6]
Context. The 'dictator' remarks were made with qualifiers such as 'except for Day One,' which narrow the claim's scope. Trump's team and others disputed characterizations of his views as authoritarian.[1][7][8]
Sources
8 sources: 1 fact-checker, 3 tier 2, 4 not rated
- 1Trump's 'Day One' Remark to 'Dictator' Question Referenced the Southern Border and Oil Drillingsnopes.com · fact-checker · cited for: context
- 2Playbook: Trump doubles down on ‘dictator’ desirepolitico.com · tier 2 · cited for: supports
- 3Donald Trump Reveals the One Insult He Hates Mostthedailybeast.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 4Donald Trump repeats comment he would be a dictator 'for one day' if reelected in 2024burlingtonfreepress.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 5After Davos Speech, Trump Tells the World, “Sometimes ...truthout.org · not rated · cited for: supports
- 6dictatorshipcommondreams.org · not rated · cited for: supports
- 7Trump says he won't be a dictator if elected, 'except for Day One'nbcnews.com · tier 2 · cited for: context
- 8Trump says he wouldn’t be a dictator ‘except for Day One’washingtonpost.com · tier 2 · cited for: context
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post