US President Donald Trump sparked fresh controversy this week with remarks from the Oval Office, where he claimed that “many” Americans would like to have a dictator. “I’m not a dictator. I don’t like dictators,” he insisted. “I’m someone with a lot of common sense and intelligence.”
The comments came during a marathon 80-minute press conference largely focused on public safety, in which Trump lashed out at political opponents and defended his decision to deploy the National Guard in Washington, D.C. “You send in the military and, instead of congratulating you, they accuse you of attacking democracy,” he said.
Jail for Burning the US Flag
In front of reporters, Trump signed an executive order introducing a one-year prison sentence for anyone who burns the American flag. The move challenges a 1989 Supreme Court ruling that protected flag burning as free speech under the Constitution. “If you burn a flag, you’ll serve the full year in prison—no parole, nothing,” he declared.
From “Defense” to “War”
Trump also announced his intention to rename the Department of Defense as the “Department of War,” reviving the title it held until 1949. “Defense is too defensive. We want to be aggressive,” he told reporters, suggesting a congressional vote may not be required to implement the change.
Clashes With Political Opponents
The president took aim at several Democratic governors, including California’s Gavin Newsom and Maryland’s Wes Moore, accusing them of poor leadership. He also mocked Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, calling him a “slob” and ridiculing his weight. Pritzker fired back from Chicago, branding Trump an “apprentice dictator” and warning that his deployment of troops to American cities represented a dangerous power grab.
Trump has hinted that Chicago could soon face the same kind of federal intervention already carried out in Washington. He promised the US capital would be “spotless” ahead of next summer’s FIFA World Cup, even showing off the gold trophy in the Oval Office.
An Unlikely Target: Asian Carp
In a striking aside, Trump railed against the spread of Asian carp in the Great Lakes, calling it a “violent fish” that “jumps into boats everywhere.” He blamed China for the invasive species, warning the problem would be “very expensive” to solve. Still, he made clear he would take no action unless formally requested by Governor Pritzker.
At 79, Trump remains both combative and unpredictable, alternating between policy pronouncements, political attacks, and colorful digressions. His remarks underscored the increasingly sharp divide between the White House and Democratic-led states as the 2028 presidential election looms.
