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New Delhi:

Donald Trump, former US president and the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, today asserted that he would be a dictator if re-elected. His remarks come a day after he warned of “bedlam” in the United States if he is put on trial, following an appeals court hearing that appeared to lean towards rejecting his claim of presidential immunity.

Joe Biden in his speeches has maintained that a second Trump term could spell turmoil for American democracy.

Speaking at a Fox News Townhall today, Trump said that his opponents are trying to win votes by calling him a dictator.

“I wasn’t involved in wars. We brought the troops back home. He (Joe Biden) is using this as a political ploy,” Trump said.

But the former president said that he does plan on being “a dictator for one day” to do two things – shutdown illegal crossings at the US-Mexico border and bolster energy projects.

“After that, I’m not going to be,” Trump said.

Trump, who was impeached twice by the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives while in office but acquitted both times thanks to Republicans in the Senate, is scheduled to go on trial on March 4 on charges of conspiring to overturn the 2020 election won by Biden.

On Tuesday, a three-judge appeals court panel appeared deeply skeptical of arguments by Trump’s lawyer who said that as a former president, he should be immune from prosecution on charges he conspired to overturn the 2020 election.

Speaking to reporters afterwards, the 77-year-old Trump, accused Democrats and President Biden of waging a “very unfair” politically motivated prosecution.

“They feel this is the way they’re going to try and win,” he said. “And that’s not the way it goes. It will be bedlam in the country.”

Trump also faces election-related charges in Georgia and has been indicted in Florida on charges of illegally taking top secret documents with him on leaving the White House.