Defining Dictators – By Definition, Trump Isn’t One

Over the past couple of years, I have heard the term “dictator” thrown around, and it is not always used correctly.

The main way I’ve heard this phrase used is to describe Trump and his “reign”. I choose to disagree with this standpoint.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a dictator as a person granted absolute emergency power and one who rules in an absolute and often oppressive way.

There have been many dictators throughout history, be it Hitler, Mussolini or Stalin. When looking at the dictators of the past, they seem to share one thing in common with each other. The distinguishing elements of their rule were the identification of the state with a single mass party, the identification of the party with its charismatic leader, the use of an official ideology to legitimize and maintain the regime, and the use of mass communication – in the form of newspapers, periodicals, and radio – to spread pro-government propaganda (Dictator | definition, examples, & facts | britannica 2026).

In simple terms, what this means is that they had complete control of everything, e.g., TV, radio, and newspapers, and all of it was used to further their ideologies.

Now, comparing the past and present Trump presidency fails to meet the checklist laid out by past dictators. I do agree that some of the things President Trump is doing could be done better, but that doesn’t make him a dictator.

In the United States, we still have many rules in place to prevent a king or a single person from exercising supreme rule. The U.S. Constitution has established a system called checks and balances, in which each branch of government can check the actions of the other branches (Branches of the U.S. government 2025). This means the president can veto legislation passed by Congress (Branches of the U.S. government 2025). They also nominate heads of federal agencies and high court appointees. Congress confirms or rejects the president’s nominees. It can also remove the president from office in exceptional circumstances (Branches of the U.S. government 2025). The Justices of the Supreme Court, nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate, can overturn unconstitutional laws (Branches of the U.S. government 2025).

Christian Montaini is a Topeka freshman studying fire science. Email him at thehutchinsoncollegian@gmail.com

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