Attendees at Donald Trump's rallies over the weekend uniformly don't have any worries that he said he'd love to be a "dictator" for one day if he is reelected, with some claiming he's just taunting his critics — and others saying that the U.S. system of government needs a good housecleaning.
In interviews with USA Today's Riley Beggin, MAGA supporters were pressed to explain how they can stand behind the former president who, to other's eyes, is edging close to full-on authoritarianism, if his recent comments are taken seriously
Beggin reported, "Many attendees at Trump's campaign rally Saturday at the University of New Hampshire said the comment was a joke meant to provoke his rivals. The voters said they're not concerned Trump would truly lead as a dictator.
Among them was Shelly Temple, who worked for Trump's election in 2016, claimed she hasn't wavered in her support.
"I don't see that as a dictator, I see that as being a leader and to protect his country... I like a president that respects the Constitution. Let the government work the way it's supposed to. Let there be checks and balances," she proposed.
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Mabel Berezin, a sociology professor at Cornell University, differed with the former president's fans who see his comments as an elaborate joke, with Berezin warning, "Two things about Trump. One, he often says what he means and he often says it in the form of a joke. The second part of it is, I don't think we should discount him."
She added, "Trump's most outrageous statements are worth paying attention to."
Cafe owners Nori and Sarah Kozuma are solidly in Trump's camp, with Nori expressing fears that democracy is slipping away and "now we have to change the system."
As for Trump and a dictatorship, he explained, "You have to demolish your whole house to build a brand new house that's really good for you. In order to destroy the whole house, it takes a long time and it takes leadership. (Allegations of dictatorship are) fanned by the media."
"He hasn't done one single thing that makes me think he's a dictator,'" he blithely added.
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