Former President Donald Trump declined in a prime-time town hall to rule out abuse of power to go after his critics — saying he wouldn't do it “except on day one” — when given multiple opportunities to abandon plans for revenge or power grabs to swear.
Trump made the extraordinary statements after Fox News host Sean Hannity directly questioned him about some of his critics' worst accusations — that he planned to “abuse power” or use the legal system to take down his political rivals. calls him 'a dictator.'
“Just to be clear, if you are re-elected, do you have any plans whatsoever to abuse power, break the law and use the government to go after people,” Hannity asked him.
“You mean like they use now?” Trump responded, without answering the question directly.
“Except for day one,” former President Donald Trump said when Fox News host Sean Hannity asked him to rule out abuse of power
'So in the history of our country? What happened to us again has never happened before. The accusations were more than nonsense about nothing,” Trump said, returning to a refrain that he has been indicted more times (four) than infamous Chicago gangster Al Capone.
After Trump focused on other topics during the sit-down interview, Hannity returned to the topic, having previously played a famous Trump clip in which supporters said, “I am your retaliation.”
“You promise America tonight that you would never abuse power in retaliation?” Hannity asked the former president, who is leading President Joe Biden in a series of polls.
“Except for day one,” Trump replied.
“I want to close the border and I want to drill, drill, drill,” Trump said.
Trump did not respond immediately when Hannity asked him to promise that 'you would never abuse power'
Hannity asked Trump about his plans after playing a clip of the former House Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), called the threat of a Trump dictatorship “a very real threat.”
Cheney, who served on the Jan. 6 House committee and is promoting a new book, said Monday that the 2024 election “may be the last election you ever get to vote in” if Trump wins.
Hannity himself boosted some of the claims Trump and his Republican allies have made about his prosecution, posting a graphic about a “politicized and weaponized” Justice Department.
Trump faces 91 charges in four criminal indictments, with his trial in DC over his election effort set to begin on March 4, a day before Super Tuesday.
Hannity also asked him Tuesday about Biden's comment that “if Trump didn't run, I'm not sure I would run.”
“Someone gave him a talking point,” Trump said, dismissing the comment.
Both Trump and Hannity accused Biden of cognitive decline.
Trump also appeared to predict a Chinese invasion of Taiwan.
He did this after repeating his claim that Russian President Vladimir Putin would not have invaded Ukraine if he were president.
'I used to talk to Putin about it. It was the apple of his eye: Ukraine,” Trump said.
“I said don't do it,” Trump claimed, implying a threat.
He said Putin “believed me 10 percent,” which was enough to deter him.
He then turned to Chinese President Xi Jinping and said they “had the exact same conversation.”
'He looks very strongly at Taiwan. It would never have happened. And again it didn't happen for four years, and it never would. It would never have happened… And now it very well may happen, which would be a shame,” he said.
Trump went after Biden when Hannity asked a question about Biden “cognitively struggling.” He also played a clip showing awkward pauses in Biden's remarks.
“He couldn't lift the beach chair that is meant for children to lift,” Trump said. “And mentally I'd say he's possibly just as bad and maybe worse. Don't know. I will say this: He has cruel people surrounding him around that beautiful Oval Office.”
Trump sat with Hannity in Davenport, Iowa, and promised in recent weeks before the Iowa Caucuses, “We will blitz.”
'We don't take any risks. We don't want to take any chances,” Trump said.
It came days after Hannity hosted a debate between Trump's main rival, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and California Governor Gavin Newsom (D).
“Given that he didn't have the facts, I thought he did a good job,” Trump said of Hannity.
He took a few shots at DeSantis and called him “deSantimonious.”
He tried to stir the pot by saying Vice President Kamala Harris would be “the one to beat the odds” if Biden ended his campaign.
“They're saying if they didn't give it to her, the African American vote, the black vote, wouldn't go to them,” Trump said.