Former President Trump said in a new interview that he doesn’t believe the United States has much of a democracy right now, complaining about the media and his own indictments.
In an interview that aired Sunday with “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker, Trump said he believes democracy is the most effective form of government.
“But it has to be a democracy that’s fair. This democracy is — I don’t consider us to have much of a democracy right now,” Trump said.
“They indict their political opponents. Free speech is shot, because the press is very dishonest, very dishonest. Even the way you fight me on simple questions like, you know, the border, and this. You fight me so much,” Trump told Welker.
“We need a media that’s free and fair. And frankly, if they don’t have that, it’s very, very hard to straighten out our country,” he added.
Trump repeatedly drew criticism during his time in office from lawmakers, watchdogs and some of his former administration officials for disregarding democratic norms, and some critics have warned that another Trump term could threaten democracy.
Trump ignored precedent to keep the Justice Department independent by frequently weighing in about ongoing investigations and attacking his attorney general.
He also sparred publicly with members of his own party and demeaned the press as “fake news” and the enemy of the people, and he attempted to remain in power after he lost the 2020 election to President Biden.
Trump was indicted on federal charges for his attempts to remain in power and for his retention of classified documents after leaving the White House. He is also facing charges in Georgia over his attempts to overturn the 2020 election results the state and charges in New York for an alleged hush money scheme to cover up an affair.
Still, Trump is currently the front-runner for the GOP presidential nomination in 2024, leading his rivals by wide margins in national and state-level primary polls.
Asked by Welker if he would look to amass more power if he wins the election next year, Trump downplayed the idea that he would look to fire government employees who were not loyal to him.
“No, I wouldn’t do that. I want great people, whether they’re Republican or Democrat. I want great people,” Trump said. “But I want people that love our country, not people that hate our country.”