Is Trump becoming a dictator?

US president Donald Trump’s style of leadership is fast tilting towards dictatorship, akin to Germany’s Adolf Hitler, Italy’s Benito Mussolini and Francisco Franco of Spain – starting with small steps before moving on to a full-blown dictatorship.

That’s the view of independent political analyst Sandile Swana, who said Trump’s imposition of the military to deal with the protests in Los Angeles without consulting the state governor and local mayor was a sign of growing dictatorship.

‘Hit them harder than ever’

He was reacting to Trump’s decision to order US Marines and 2 000 National Guard troops to quell protests in Los Angeles without consulting California governor Gavin Newsom.

Newsom called the move an attempt to fulfil “deranged fantasy of a dictatorial president” and “un-American”.

The action is part of Trump’s plan to “hit harder than ever” the protesters who staged street demonstrations in opposition to the arrest of immigrants in Los Angeles, a city famous for its huge Latino migrant population.

On social media, Trump described the protesters as “professional agitators and insurrectionists”.

“I promise you they will be hit harder than they have ever been hit before,” he wrote. Swana said Trump’s move was a grand plan to silence opponents.

‘Qualities of a dictator’

“Trump has started to overrule the governors; next he will seek to overrule mayors of the cities; seek to overrule and arrest judges and overrule university councils in places like Harvard, and so on.

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“Those clearly are qualities of a dictator who suppresses or overrules systems of governance and the democratic or constitutional order,” he said.

Swana said Trump also dictated to other leaders by imposing sanctions, tariff increases and threats without allowing debate.

He said his executive orders demonstrated his dictatorial tendencies. “It looks like he is becoming a strongman who is going to listen to nobody and dictate terms to everybody and get things done.

“That is how Mussolini in Italy, Hitler in Germany and Franco in Spain rose – on the basis of the action man, big man who is going to solve everything overnight,” he said.

Bernie Sanders slams Trump’s behaviour

The analyst echoed US Senator Bernie Sanders, who criticised Trump for “moving the country rapidly into authoritarianism”.

Sanders lashed out at Trump for targeting media and law firms he believes were opposed to him and threatened to impeach judges who ruled against him.

“He is usurping the power of the US Congress; this guy wants all of the power. He does not believe in the constitution, he does not believe in the rule of law,” Sanders told CNN.

Unisa political scientist Dirk Kotzé, said Trump appeared to demonstrate his resolve not to let the situation develop into a bigger campaign against him and wants to stop it at its roots.

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