Former US President Donald Trump, during an event on December 5, predicted he’d receive 150 million votes from the public in the 2024 US presidential election. Trump, the frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination, was appearing at a Fox News event before a friendly audience in Davenport, Iowa, the state where the party’s nominating contest kicks off on January 15, the Independent reported.
The former US president said, “We’ve never seen the likes of what we have all done together. It’s not just me, it’s everybody then and millions and millions. I suppose it’s not 75 million people; I suppose it’s 150 million people, indeed even further than that. Who does not want to see strong borders, a strong military, low taxes, and low international tensions and go out and buy a house?”
At the event, he also said that he would not become a dictator if he becomes U.S. president again except “on day one,” after warnings from Democrats and some Republicans that America was in peril of becoming an authoritarian state if he won the 2024 election.
The Republican presidential candidate had to be asked twice during a televised town hall event in Iowa to deny that he’d abuse power to seek vengeance on political opponents if re-elected to the White House.
“No. No. Other than on day one,” Trump said when asked to deny he’d become a “dictator” if he wins the November election. Trump clarified that on “day one,” he meant he would use his presidential powers to close the southern border with Mexico and expand oil drilling.
Trump, seeking a second White House term in a likely election rematch with incumbent President Joe Biden, has consistently promised “retaliation” on political opponents if he regains power.
Trump served as the US president between 2017 and 2021 and has refused to concede that he lost to Joe Biden in the 2020 election.
Since then, Trump has spread false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him, a conspiracy that fueled the deadly insurrection by Trump sympathizers at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. Trump’s election falsehoods also form a foundation of his current White House campaign.
However, Trump is still ahead in opinion polls despite facing some legal challenges, including one for election subversion. Mr. Biden’s age is a particular concern among voters, and there have been calls from some Democrats for him to step away for a new candidate.
