Bill Maher recalled putting together a list of things that dictators typically do when he was interviewing Yale historian Timothy Snyder. At that time, President Donald Trump only checked off a few on the list. A year later, however, Maher thinks Trump checks off everything except for one.
"You're a narcacist who likes to put your name on buildings," Maher said naming off the list. "Appoint family members to positions of power. Rallies. Who has rallies after you're election is over?"
White House correspondent April Ryan said that Trump is doing it because he's still campaigning.
"It's not even about campaigning," Maher said. "It's about, he feels blue because someone was mean on TV so I need 9,000 drooling idiots in an airplane hanger in Tuscaloosa. Make 'em feel good."
The other list items are that a dictator hates the press and has their own propaganda machine, which Maher called Fox News. Another is missile parades and using the office for your own personal financial gain.
"Align with other dictators and strong men," Maher checked off. "Claim minorities are the problem with the country. And you lie so freely that people don't know what the truth is anymore."
The final one that Trump hasn't checked off is he isn't wearing a military costume.
"When he comes out with the big--" Maher said before he cracked up laughing. He explained that at that point he's done and he's out.
"That's the day that I have to resign," Ryan confessed.
"I do this differently," Richard Painter, former ethics czar under George W. Bush began. "I think that Russia ought to be invited to a platoon. They're a major supporter of the campaign. They supported the campaign and contributors expect something in return. It's only fair. And another thing I would add to your list: when you tell people to clap for you during your speech. I mean, that's the way they do it in North Korea. And if you don't clap they take care of it."
He went on to say that it seems like Trump's criticism of the Democrats for not clapping for him during the State of the Union might even lead to "reeducation programs" for the Democrats.