[Karah Rucker]
WITH FOUR REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFULS SET TO TAKE THE DEBATE STAGE TONIGHT –

IT’S FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP ALREADY STEALING THE SHOW.

AFTER A TOWNHALL HOSTED BY FOX NEWS –

REMARKS THE FORMER PRESIDENT MADE WHEN ASKED IF HE WILL BECOME A DICTATOR – HAVE SENT THE MEDIA INTO A FRENZY.

HOW DID THE TOPIC EVEN COME UP?

MODERATOR SEAN HANNITY HAD TRUMP ANSWER TO HEADLINES THAT CIRCULATED THE NEWS CYCLE IN THE WEEK LEADING UP TO THE TOWNHALL.

AN OP-ED IN THE WASHINGTON POST SAID “A TRUMP DICTATORSHIP IS INCREASINGLY INEVITABLE.”

AND A NEW YORK TIMES OPINION PIECE STATED “TRUMP UNBOUND: AN AUTOCRAT IN WAITING.”

AND THE SAME RHETORIC CAME FROM A VOCAL CRITIC OF TRUMP ON CBS SUNDAY MORNING.

“He’s told us what he will do. It’s very easy to see the steps he will take.”

“One of the things we see happening today is sort of a sleepwalking into a dictatorship.”

MODERATOR SEAN HANNITY ASKED TRUMP WHETHER THERE WAS ANY TRUTH TO THE CLAIMS.

AND HE ANSWERED IN TRUE TRUMP FASHION.

“To be clear, do you in any way have plans whatsoever if reelected to abuse power, break the law, use the government to go after people?

You mean like how they’re using right now? So. In the history of our country, what’s happened to us has never happened before.”

THEN HANNITY ASKED TRUMP POINT BLANK IF HE WOULD EVER ABUSE POWER IF ELECTED PRESIDENT AGAIN.

“I want to close the border and I want to drill, drill, drill.”Hannity: “That’s not retribution.”Trump: “I love this guy, he says, ‘you’re not going to be a dictator are you?’ I said no, no, no, other than day one. We’re closing the border and we’re drilling, drilling, drilling. After that, I’m not a dictator.”

HIS RESPONSE – TRIGGERED A RIPPLE OF REACTION THROUGHOUT MAINSTREAM MEDIA.

“Donald Trump was asked a simple and direct question by a friendly interviewer and he wouldn’t rule out abusing power if he gets back to the white house. In face he used the word dictator describing his plans for day one in office.”

“There is a sickness, a sickness among fellow americans regarding authoritarianism…they want it. Really, when he promised he’d be a dictator on day one, he got applause.”

“Hannity begging him, like, come on, really though, you’re not going to turn into a tyrant right? Well, eh, eh. I might. 

You know what it reminds me of, the last time we saw trump pull something like this was just before the 2020 election when he was repeatedly asked will you accept the results of the 2020 election and he refused to say.”   

WHILE THE MEDIA REVELS IN TRUMP’S LATEST COMMENTS –

THERE IS A DEBATE HAPPENING TONIGHT.

FOUR REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES ARE TRYING TO ESCAPE THE SHADOW –

AND MAKE UP FOR A 50 POINT DEFICIT IN POLLS BEHIND TRUMP.

WHETHER THESE CANDIDATES WILL HAVE TO ANSWER TO TRUMP’S TOWNHALL COMMENTS –

IS UNKNOWN.

BUT IT IS A COMMON THEME IN PREVIOUS DEBATES –

CANDIDATES HAVING TO ANSWER FOR THEIR PARTY’S DIRECTION IN 2024 –

WITH TRUMP LARGELY WRITING THE PLAYBOOK.