CNN presidential historian Timothy Naftali noted that President Trump succeeded in being a “dictator on day one” of his presidency, based on his actions on Opening day.
Naftali responded to the news that the president would do so Signed more than 200 executive orders On its first day, a record.
“He decided to fulfill his promise to be a dictator on day one,” Naftali said, referring to a comment Trump made during the 2023 election. Town Hall with Fox News' Sean Hannity.
Trump quipped at the time that he would not be a dictator, “except on day one. We close the borders and we drill, drill, drill. And after that, I'm not a dictator.”
CNN historian Timothy Naftali commented on President Trump's speech after his inauguration on Monday. (CNN screenshot)
Naftali added how Trump invited several international leaders, such as Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Argentine President Javier Miley, whom Naftali criticized as “far-right” leaders.
He went on to attack Trump's previous calls To acquire Greenland and regaining control of the Panama Canal, suggesting that this is a surrender to the “far right.”
“In a sense, we had a representative of the international far right at the inauguration,” Naftali said. “The President of the United States, for the first time since 1901, in his inaugural address, spoke about how this country would gain new territory and threaten the sovereignty of another country.
“This is a signal to the far right of the world that America will now play the game the way other far-right countries play, which is: what we want, we take.”
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Argentine President Javier Miley share a joke as they arrive for Donald Trump's inauguration in the Rotunda of the US Capitol in Washington, United States, January 20, 2025. (Evelyn Hochstein/Reuters)
He continued: “Which means, for the first time since World War II, we are no longer an indispensable nation. If we follow the speech at the inauguration ceremony, we have become an imperialist nation.”
Click here for more media and cultural coverage
Trump promised In his inaugural address, he said that the sovereignty of the United States would be restored, and our safety would be restored. Balance will be restored to the scales of justice. The evil, violent, and unjust weaponization of the Department of Justice and our government will end. Our top priority will be: creating a proud, prosperous and free nation.”
Trump had proposed acquiring Greenland before his inauguration. (Evan Vucci/AP)
“The kind of rhetoric that the president used in his inauguration speech is the kind of rhetoric that one associates with an imperial superpower,” Naftali added.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
