Donald J. Trump’s declaration Tuesday night that he would be a “dictator” only on “Day One” of his presidency wasn’t to be taken seriously, Fox News host Jesse Watters insisted Wednesday.

“It’s only a dictatorship for one day, guys,” Watters began, chuckling. “He’ll just sit and sign executive orders like Biden did.”

Trump, Watters claimed, “knows exactly what he is doing.”

“He’s teasing the press and they just took the bait,” he claimed, before playing clips of two MSNBC contributors who—unlike Watters—were not taking Trump lightly.

“Look how unhappy these people look. MSNBC needs to relax. And don’t you dare laugh at Trump’s jokes. They aren’t funny,” the Fox host said, before going to another round of clips, this time from the rival network’s Morning Joe show.

  • DefiantBidet@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    134
    ·
    1 year ago

    In 2016 I heard people say they like Trump bc he says what he means.

    For someone who says what they mean, there sure is a lot of explaining intent coming from the right.

    Every 4 years we get the summer Olympics, and yet the hurdles competition there still ain’t in the level of MAGAts trying to walk back the latest Trump comment.

    • Dagwood222@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      47
      ·
      1 year ago

      “you can’t take him literally, but you have to take him seriously.” actual MAGoo quote.

    • CosmicTurtle@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      40
      ·
      1 year ago

      2016 was two things at the same time:

      • “He says what he means.”
      • “That’s just locker room talk.”

      Often said one right after the other.

    • Daft_ish@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      1 year ago

      Republicans do not argue in good faith. They’re willing to sacrifice our entire government to the will of this one man and nothing can change their minds. To them, there is no arguments to be had so they twist words and lie to your face just to get you to react.

      • Ook the Librarian@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        8
        ·
        1 year ago

        It’s not a test. There are no ifs. It’s a message that got through to its audience. None of this back-peddling will or is intended to reach that audience. The message is sent and it seems well-received.

    • xor@lemmy.blahaj.zone
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      13
      ·
      edit-2
      1 year ago

      It’s Schrödinger’s douchebag

      If you agree with him it’s real, if you disagree it was a joke, stop being so uptight

  • Bakkoda
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    75
    ·
    1 year ago

    I agree. He was joking about it only being one day.

  • FuglyDuck@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    63
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    edit-2
    1 year ago

    That didn’t happen.
    And if it did, it wasn’t that bad.
    And if it was, that’s not a big deal.
    And if it is, that’s not my fault.
    And if it was, I didn’t mean it. <---- this one
    And if I did, you deserved it.

    *arrow mine. may it find Trump’s knee.

  • TrickDacy@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    33
    ·
    edit-2
    1 year ago

    Of course they did. a tan suit is far beneath the office, but joking about being a fascist is not. Makes perfect sense

  • dtc@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    31
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    1 year ago

    Oops hahah the guillotine went off haha it was just a joke, stop rolling away haha lmao.

  • RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    28
    ·
    1 year ago

    Trump always lies about what he’s done.

    He never lies about what he wants to do.

    If he says he wants to be a dictator, then that’s exactly who he wants to be.

    • TechyDad@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      18
      ·
      1 year ago

      It’s Schrodinger’s Joke. You say something awful and it’s simultaneously a joke and not a joke until the people hearing it react. That collapses the wave function. If people get offended, then it was just a joke. If people cheer for it, then it was serious.

  • TheMusicalFruit@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    23
    ·
    1 year ago

    Joking about becoming a dictator would make you unelectable 20 years ago. Remember when Howard Dean got excited at a rally and screamed a bit too loud? That was 20 years ago and it completely sank his campaign. Though he didn’t stand much of a chance against John Kerry for the nomination, his campaign was doomed after that.

  • Jaysyn@kbin.social
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    23
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    1 year ago

    “The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.”

    ― George Orwell, 1984

    • jballs
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      9
      ·
      1 year ago

      Very fitting quote. I can’t believe they’re trying to call it a “hoax”.

      “But Trump will have so much fun with this dictatorship hoax. Watch him start wearing a crown.”

      Oh isn’t that so funny how he wants to restructure the government with only people loyal to him? Isn’t that hilarious how he wants to throw out the election results and override the will of the people? Isn’t that just an absolute gas how he wants to ignore term limits and appoint himself ruler for life?

      No. That shit isn’t a hoax and it isn’t funny. Wtf is wrong with Fox News to even try to make a joke out of this?

  • Mercival@lemm.ee
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    20
    ·
    edit-2
    1 year ago

    The only Jesse Watters clip I can get behind is the one where his mom tells him how disappointed she is in him for lying to people for profit.

      • Cylusthevirus@kbin.social
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        5
        ·
        1 year ago

        One of the scariest things about parenting is how little control you really have over outcomes for your kids. I have watched my kid make bad decisions and there’s just fuck all I can do but hope she learns from the experience and isn’t too badly hurt by it while giving her all the love I can.

        I’m not talking about falling down the stairs of course; certainly nothing safety related. But decisions with friends, academics … you can model good behavior, your can inform, you can supply incentives, and consequences, but end of day, it’s their life.

        I mean my mom is a raging Qanon, Trump loving, anti-vax (recently), evangelical and I’d happily vote for Bernie and got my last round of boosters a few days ago, so it goes both ways I guess.

      • DarkenLM@kbin.social
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        4
        ·
        1 year ago

        Unfortunately, this happens way too often. Despite their family’s best intentions for them, money speaks louder.

  • eran_morad@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    19
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    edit-2
    1 year ago

    I fear it’ll take blood in the streets before people really see what this is all about.

    • Dagwood222@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      21
      ·
      1 year ago

      There’s already been blood in the streets.

      A Nazi from a Nazi march ran down an innocent woman and killed her. Trump said that there are ‘fine people on both sides.’

  • Im14abeer@midwest.social
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    18
    ·
    1 year ago

    Ahh ha ha ha, ahh ha ha ha! Dictatorships are soooo freaking funny guys. Remember when the US backed Pinochet’s military junta in Chile? God that was hilarious. Super funny when they started disappearing people. And the torture, good times, good times.

    • Zombiepirate@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      16
      ·
      1 year ago

      Oh, you mean the conflict that’s glorified by right-wing terrorist groups today because it targeted leftists?

      Fun reminder that the GOP today has the same enemies as the Nazis: sexual, ethnic, and religious minorities & leftists. Its not a coincidence, its a plan.

      • Im14abeer@midwest.social
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        arrow-down
        4
        ·
        1 year ago

        Yep, that’s the one. Absolute hilarity! Let’s not pretend there hasn’t been plenty of dictator humor from the left also though. Unfortunately, supporting “leftist” ideals does not preclude your being a brutal “comedian”.

        • Zombiepirate@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          4
          ·
          edit-2
          1 year ago

          Well yes, one can be an idiot on the left and wish for a Reign of Terror.

          But the left doesn’t really have a problem with paramilitary groups advertising that they’re training for a civil war while trying to overthrow elections and invoking that imagery.