In an interview with French outlet Le Figaro, former US President Donald Trump's former national security advisor was asked whether Trump had the qualities of a dictator. In response, he not only belittled the former president's intellectual capacity, but also mocked his professional background, stressing, "He's a property developer, for God's sake!" 

As he seeks a second term in the White House, the incumbent Joe Biden has warned that Trump – the lone remaining contender for the Republican nomination – and his allies are “determined to destroy American democracy”. Trump recently provided fuel for that argument by hosting Hungary’s autocratic prime minister Viktor Orbán at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

US President Joe Biden is warning that Trump and his allies are "determined to destroy American democracy."

Nonetheless, Bolton claimed that Trump lacks the coherent political philosophy effective dictators require. He adds that he does not like to “get involved in policy analysis or decision-making in the way we normally use those terms”.

“Everything is episodic, anecdotal, transactional. And everything is contingent on the question of how this will benefit Donald Trump," he added. 

Trump 'the dictator' 

In his interview with Le Figaro, Bolton stated that it was "very likely" for Trump to follow through on his threat to withdraw the US from the NATO military alliance if he is re-elected. Over recent months, Trump has reiterated his warning, expressing his intention not to defend countries he deems insufficiently contributing to the alliance's security. He has also alleged that European members of NATO mock the United States as "foolish".

Bolton warned that “Trump, when he has an idea, comes back to it again and again, then gets distracted, forgets, but eventually comes back to it and acts on it,” adding “That’s why leaving NATO is a real possibility. A lot of people think it’s just a negotiating tool, but I don’t think so.”

During a campaign rally in March, Trump discussed the impact of foreign car production on the US auto industry, remarking, "If I don’t get elected, it’s going to be a bloodbath for the whole – that’s going to be the least of it. It’s going to be a bloodbath for the country."

His use of the word “bloodbath” recalled provocative language he had used previously, including describing immigrants as “poisoning the blood of our country”.

Just weeks after adopting the term "vermin" to characterize parts of American society he despises, Donald Trump stated at a rally in New Hampshire that immigrants are "poisoning the blood of our country."

Trump had previously pledged to "root out the communists, Marxists,… pic.twitter.com/oXo4dwhH1V

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) December 17, 2023