'I don't like a dictator. I'm not a dictator. I'm a man with great common sense,' says US president
US President Donald Trump pushed back on criticism that he is acting increasingly authoritarian amid his ongoing effort to deploy the military to Washington, DC's streets and threats to expand the effort elsewhere.
Trump insisted during remarks before reporters in the Oval Office that "a lot of people" think they would like the US to be ruled by a dictator.
"A lot of people are saying, 'Maybe we'd like a dictator.' I don't like a dictator. I'm not a dictator. I'm a man with great common sense and a smart person," he said. "And when I see what's happening to our cities, and then you send in troops, instead of being praised, they're saying you're trying to take over the Republic. These people are sick."
Trump's use of the military to police the nation's capital has drawn criticism, including from some Republicans, as he mulls sending troops to additional major US cities, including Baltimore and Chicago. The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 generally prohibits the US military from civilian law enforcement activities.
The National Guard has typically been deployed on US soil at the request of a state governor following a natural disaster. Trump deployed the Guard to Washington, DC, claiming a crime emergency exists there.
The president and his political allies have sought to discount official crime data in multiple cities, claiming they do not accurately reflect the extent of criminal activities, including in Washington, DC and Baltimore, where they allege official cover-ups. Trump officials have yet to present evidence to substantiate the allegations.
In Washington, the president has sought to claim credit for a now 12-day streak in which there were no officially recorded murders, claiming it is unprecedented. But the city recorded a 16-day streak running from February through March.
Official data shows there have been 101 murders so far this year in the nation's capital, down 15% from the same point in time last year.
Trump said the US military is now ready to be deployed to any US city he wants, even if the governor of the state does not make a request for assistance.
"We want to go from here to other places, but I would, I was telling some of the people that in a certain way, you really want to be asked to go," he said. "You know, I hate to barge in on the city and then be treated horribly by corrupt politicians and bad politicians."
