Trump Suggests Americans May 'Like A Dictator' Amid Federal Crime Crackdown
By BIN
August 25, 2025
President Donald Trump defended his federal crackdown on crime in Washington, D.C. on Monday (August 25), saying Americans might "like a dictator," per Newsweek.
Trump made the remark as he signed multiple executive orders aimed at cracking down on crime, including a directive to end cashless bail and the creation of specialized National Guard units trained to manage “public order issues."
“A lot of people are saying, ‘Maybe we like a dictator,’” Trump said Monday in response to criticism over his tactics.
“I’m not a dictator. I’m a man with great common sense," he added.
Monday's executive orders direct Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to form public order units within the National Guard to be deployed to U.S. cities at the president’s discretion. The move comes amid threats by Trump to deploy troops to Chicago, Baltimore, New York, and other Democratic-led cities.
Trump's latest orders also target cashless bail. The president has threatened to revoke federal funding from cities and states that continue to use the system, which prevents non-violent offenders from being jailed solely for being poor. Trump and his conservative allies argue that releasing low-level offenders without bail enables crime, despite the claim being unsupported by data. Studies have found no link between bail reform and increased crime.
“When these individuals are released without bail… they are permitted — even encouraged — to further endanger law-abiding, hard-working Americans,” Trump's order reads.
Civil rights advocates and Democratic leaders expressed deep concern over what they believe is authoritarian overreach.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Trump is “attempting to manufacture a crisis, politicize Americans who serve in uniform, and continue abusing his power to distract from the pain he's causing families.”
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson called Trump’s plan “the most flagrant violation of our Constitution in the 21st Century,” adding that the city does “not need a military occupation.”
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