MSNBC’s Howard Fineman Goes Off on ‘Would-Be Dictatorial Leader’ Trump: He’s Saying ‘I Am the State!’
After President Donald Trump‘s press conference today, MSNBC analyst Howard Fineman sounded alarms on MTP Daily about his rhetoric and authoritarian impulses.
“The cornered animal is a dangerous animal,” Fineman told Chuck Todd. “The only thing more dangerous than a dictatorial leader who’s confident of his position is a would-be dictatorial leader who isn’t. Donald Trump in that press conference today went as far as I’ve ever seen him go down the road toward ‘I am king’ thinking.”
“‘This is what you must see. Don’t pay attention to the evidence before your eyes, this is what you must see. This is a question I will answer, this is a question I will not answer. Anybody who disagrees with me is treasonous. I am the state,'” Fineman said, talking about Trump’s comments. “Now that is the situation in terms of character of leadership, that the impeachment process is designed ultimately the founder said to address. He’s saying that the entire process is illegitimate. He’s basically saying the Constitution is illegitimate.”
At one point, Chuck Todd noted how some people would say he’s being alarmist. Fineman said, “I’m not being alarmist. It’s my duty as somebody who’s studied a lot of history and reported on it to say in a way we’re not taking this seriously enough! That thing today will go down in the annals of the dangers to democracy!”
As the segment continued, Fineman drew parallels to authoritarian regimes where “everything relies around political loyalty to the man at the top.”
You can watch above, via MSNBC.
