Trump labeled dangerous dictator

Trump labeled 'dangerous dictator' in new poll
Story by Marisa Laudadio •


President Donald Trump called the most recent No Kings protests, which were attended by nearly 7 million people in all 50 states, a “joke” and “very small, very ineffective.” By: ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA
Republicans downplayed recent No Kings rallies held across the country — protests aimed at President Donald Trump’s growing power and what critics call his “monarchical” attitude toward governing. GOP leaders dismissed the demonstrators as radicals, predicted chaos that never happened and mocked the movement’s message as “nonsense.”

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Trump himself brushed off the crowds, calling them “not representative of this country,” and posted AI-generated memes of himself wearing a crown and even dumping waste on protesters. House Speaker Mike Johnson echoed that tone, saying the demonstrations were “completely the opposite of what America was founded upon.”

But a new poll suggests otherwise. It shows most Americans actually agree with the spirit of the No Kings message — and that number is only going up.

Dictatorship fears grow

Back in April, the same survey showed a smaller number of respondents — 52 percent — thought President Donald Trump was turning into “a potentially dangerous dictator,” while a greater number — 44 percent — saw him as a “strong leader” who “should be given” power. By: ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA
Back in April, the same survey showed a smaller number of respondents — 52 percent — thought President Donald Trump was turning into “a potentially dangerous dictator,” while a greater number — 44 percent — saw him as a “strong leader” who “should be given” power. By: ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA
A new Public Religion Research Institute poll shows most Americans think Trump’s power grab has gone too far.

When asked whether Trump is a “potentially dangerous dictator whose power should be limited before he destroys democracy” or a “strong leader who should be given the power he needs to restore America’s greatness,” 56 percent chose the first option. Only 41 percent picked the second.

That gap has nearly doubled since April — a sign public concern about Trump’s power is growing.

Which one of the two choices would you pick if you were taking the poll, and why? Let us know in the comments section.

Rule-of-law fears

President Donald Trump raised eyebrows in 2023 when he said he wouldn’t be a dictator “except for day one” if elected to a second term. “After that, I’m not a dictator.” By: Aaron Schwartz – Pool via CNP / MEGA
President Donald Trump raised eyebrows in 2023 when he said he wouldn’t be a dictator “except for day one” if elected to a second term. “After that, I’m not a dictator.” By: Aaron Schwartz – Pool via CNP / MEGA
The same survey found more than half the country — 54 percent — believes Trump is carrying out an “assault on constitutional balances and the rule of law.”

Just 43 percent saw his sweeping changes to the federal government as a “long-overdue correction of disastrous policies.”

Strong feelings

President Donald Trump has made clear he favors a broad expansion of presidential power. He’s criticizing the traditional system of checks and balances when it’s limited his actions. By: ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA
President Donald Trump has made clear he favors a broad expansion of presidential power. He’s criticizing the traditional system of checks and balances when it’s limited his actions. By: ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA
Poll numbers like these can be exaggerated by the way questions are framed, but the strength of people’s feelings still stands out.

Forty-five percent of respondents said they strongly agreed with the Trump-is-a-dangerous-dictator option, while 43 percent strongly agreed with the he’s-attacking-checks-and-balances response.

Even among independents, nearly half said they share those concerns.

Beyond party lines

When Joe Biden was in charge, less than one in three Americans thought the presidency had too much power. That jumped to more than half of all citizens after Donald Trump returned to office. By: Leigh Vogel – Pool via CNP / MEGA
When Joe Biden was in charge, less than one in three Americans thought the presidency had too much power. That jumped to more than half of all citizens after Donald Trump returned to office. By: Leigh Vogel – Pool via CNP / MEGA
Trump’s hardly the only president who’s been accused of behaving like a monarch.

Republicans once accused former President Barack Obama of acting like a king, and former President Joe Biden was criticized for pushing the limits of executive power, too.

But voters see Trump differently. Only about two in 10 said his former opponent, former Vice President Kamala Harris, was a fascist — less than half the number who said that about Trump.

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A The Washington Post–Ipsos poll found 62 percent of Americans believe Trump has gone beyond his authority, compared with just 34 percent who said the same of Biden.

And perhaps most tellingly, a recent AP–NORC survey showed the share of Americans who think the presidency has “too much power” has jumped from 32 percent last year under Biden to 54 percent under Trump.