The system of checks and balances built into having three branches of a federal government has checked the power of the Executive branch to this point, in some areas. The immigration ban that Trump wanted, for instance, has been stymied, to some degree, by the Judicial branch. The Legislative branch has stymied Trump's desire to ease up on sanctions against Russia. So those are two areas where Trump's power has been checked. If his power has been checked, then he does not wield absolute power, and cannot be said to be a dictator.
The existence of a Special Council examining whether the President obstructed justice is also proof that Trump does not wield the absolute power associated with a dictator. Otherwise, there would be no Special Council examining the President's actions during the 2016 campaign for the Presidency.
Now, what happens if Trump fires Mueller? The Executive branch will offer justification for it, and the people will judge whether that justification is valid or not. And that judgement will likely be along partisan lines. It's likely the Executive branch will claim Mueller is exceeding his authority. The opposition will claim Trump is attempting to elevate himself above the law. This will lead to a constitutional crisis. Why? Because if the President is above the law, that alone is trending toward dictatorship. Above the law. Outside the law. It would still not be absolute power, since he would still be up for re-election in 2020. Fire the Special Council, and call off the 2020 elections to remain in power indefinetly, and then you're at least trending toward the type of absolute power we associate with dictatorship.
The man does seem to admire authoritarian rulers. I thought one of the more reprehensible moments in his Presidency was when he spoke to Duterte and told him he was doing a great job battling the drug problem in the Philippines. Since that has taken the form of thousands of extrajudicial murders, Trump was in effect congratulating Duterte for acting outside the law. Not good if one values the rule of law. Expressing admiration for dictatorial powers probably is a disturbing look for a President in the eyes of many Americans.
He has suggested the broadcast license of certain networks should be examined. Again, there are, in his words at least, shades of an admiration and willingness to trend toward authoritarian rule. Calling the press "the enemy of the people" undermines the role of the press as an independent watchdog in a democratic society and democratic system of government. It's not good, and it's a shameful stance to take. A President should not be working to undermine our democratic institutions. And that's the purpose of the Special Council's investigation. Because there is a suspicion that this President, or members of his campaign, undermined the institution of free elections by acting in concert with a foreign entity to tip an election toward one side.
The fact that that investigation is still ongoing is proof, I should think, that we're not in a dictatorship yet. Fire Mueller, however, and the whole problem of the head of the Executive branch being above and outside the law will rear its head, and we will indeed be in a constitutional crisis, as we will need to answer the question of just how much power we grant that Executive branch.
The other day, when he trashed America's intelligence agencies, and seemed to sympathize with Putin's position, even saying he thought Putin felt insulted(give me a break!!), he sounded like a traitor, and I called him one. It's not the look of an innocent man. But, I trust, and hope, that Mueller's investigation, will shed light on that guilt or innocence. As long as Mueller is allowed to proceed, we're not dealing with a President wielding absolute, dictatorial-level power.
