Trump muses about serving 21 more years as president
‘See, I told you he was a dictator,’ 73-year-old jokes while mocking media
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Your support makes all the difference.Donald Trump has mused about serving 21 more years in office, while attacking members of the press at a rally.
The president was addressing an audience in Kentucky on Monday evening.
At one point he drew the crowd’s attention to journalists covering the event.
“It’s the fake news, look at all of them,” he said, pointing at the press pen as the audience loudly booed.
“What they don’t know is that when we hang it up, in five years...or nine years, or 13 years...or maybe 17 years, or maybe – if I still have the strength - 21 years...”
The president trailed off as the crowd cheered, before again criticising the media.
“See, now they’re going crazy,” he said, about the press.
US presidents are term-limited and can only serve a maximum of eight years in office.
Mr Trump has been accused of glorifying authoritarians in the past.
“Now they’re like: See, I told you he was a dictator,” the president said, parodying the criticisms.
“He wants to take charge and take control of our country. These people are crazy.”
Despite the 73-year-old attempting to frame the suggestion as a joke, he has repeatedly spoken about serving more than two terms.
The president encouraged a crowd to chant “16 more years” while making a speech at an official White House event in October.
“Why don’t you drive them crazy and go 16 more years? You’ll drive them crazy,” he said, during the Pittsburgh speech.
A recent video tweeted by the president also contained graphics reading “Trump 2024”, “Trump 2028”, “Trump 2032”, eventually building to “Trump 9000”, followed by a sign that simply read: “Trump 4EVA”.
At the Kentucky rally on Monday, the 73-year-old also said the media should name the whistleblower at the centre of the Ukraine scandal.
Rand Paul, the Republican senator who introduced Mr Trump, urged journalists to name the person who complained about the president’s conduct during a call with the leader of Ukraine.
Mr Paul said Congress should “subpoena the whistleblower.”
“And, I say to the media do your job and print his name,” he added.
“Wow, that was excellent. He’s a warrior,” Mr Trump said, praising the senator’s comments.
The rally was a campaign event for Republican governor Matt Bevin, whose is facing an election against Democratic challenger, state attorney general Andy Beshear.
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