US Election 24: “We should take Trump’s authoritarian tendencies very seriously”

“You Should Take Trump’s Authoritarian Tendencies Very Seriously”

BR24: Trump has said several times recently that he will not become a dictator, except on the first day of his term. What does it mean?

Thimm: He said it in this interview with this formulation and tongue in cheek, which he didn’t mean entirely seriously. But that doesn’t mean Trump’s authoritarian tendencies shouldn’t be taken seriously. You should take them very seriously. In his first term as president, Trump repeatedly tested the limits of what was possible.

He has practically defied all the unwritten rules, all the norms arising from history and the convention of how a president should behave, and has tested time and time again what he can do, what he can do, what he can do, before someone pushes him. Bolt forward. On various occasions he expressed sympathy, so to speak, admiration for dictators and despotic rulers of this world.

He has shown time and time again that he does not care about human rights and that this has no bearing on his dealings with other governments. There are already concrete plans for how he intends to expand his power as president.

BR24: What are these plans?

Thimm: Trump has announced on his own website and in interviews that he plans to remove from power certain companies and individuals who may oppose him. It is about officers of the US government apparatus. There are many officials in the United States who enjoy a certain degree of independence. Examples include the Federal Reserve and the Department of Justice. This includes regulatory agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency. Note d. Red.)

There is a relatively detailed plan from think tanks and organizations close to Trump on how to weaken these organizations and institutions and government agencies. If Trump doesn’t implement his order, he wants to make it easier to fire employees of these officials. There are many signs that Trump is ready to exercise his power to the fullest and will not allow himself to be held back by existing rules and traditions.

If re-elected: “Trump will try to stay in office as long as possible — by all means”

BR24: Could it even go so far that Trump no longer wants to give up the presidency after a second term in 2028?

Thimm: I think it’s entirely realistic that Trump doesn’t want to leave the Oval Office anymore. Trump is currently facing four criminal cases and several civil cases. Trump has a strong interest in never being found guilty, a safe insurance against the fact that he could prevent investigations against the president and himself, possibly even pardoning himself. In this way, he has an incentive to stay in office as long as possible.

He has already shown that he tried: for the first time he prevented a peaceful transfer of power. He refused to admit that he had lost the election and tried to stay in office using all means available to him at the time. So it can be assumed that he will try again if given the chance.

Trump: A world in chaos

BR24: Trump’s motto: “America first.” How does this fit into the current world order or does Trump want to change it?

Thimm: Even under Trump, America claims to be number one in the world, but in reality it is a fundamentally different approach. Trump’s world order is relatively difficult to talk about. I’ll talk about ‘world disorder’ because Trump is incredibly inconsistent in his goals, because he acts so erratically and doesn’t really follow a precise plan.

But there are a few things that are clear: He relies heavily on military might, but it’s clear that he doesn’t care much about alliances and alliances. Trump sees no value in alliances, collaborations, and cooperation with other states. NATO is also a burden to him. He doesn’t recognize that the US also benefits from NATO, that NATO is practically a power multiplier for the US in the world.

Trump cares little about international law. He made it clear in his first term: he cares little for bodies like the United Nations or international law. And that’s why I think this world disorder under Trump is going to be very dynamic, very volatile.