Donald Trump repeats comment he would be a dictator 'for one day' if reelected in 2024

Former President Donald Trump on Saturday repeated comments that he would be a dictator for “one day” if he’s elected to a second term in the White House.

Trump during a keynote speech to the New York Young Republican Club mentioned New York Times correspondent Peter Baker, saying the journalist “said that I want to be a dictator.”

“I didn’t say that. I said I want to be a dictator for one day. You know why I wanted to be a dictator? Because I want a wall, and I want to drill, drill, drill,” Trump said during the club’s annual gala, according to multiple reports.

The former president appeared to reference a weekend article from Baker, which came after Trump mocked questions about authoritarianism last week. Trump during an event with Fox News host Sean Hannity told a crowd that he would be a dictator only on "day one," and then he's going to close the border and get to drilling.

"After that, I'm not a dictator, OK?" Trump added.

The former president drew further comparisons to 20th century dictators like Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini last month after calling some of his political opponents “vermin.” His critics have also pointed to his calls for “retribution” against some of his political rivals.

President Joe Biden during a fundraiser last week jabbed Trump over his apparent joke, saying "Thank God, only one day” at a fundraiser in Los Angeles.

Trump has long been the Republican frontrunner in the crowded GOP field, leading his rivals by 50 percentage points in some polls.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Donald Trump repeats remark he'd be dictator on 'one day' if reelected