Years ago an attorney on my staff suggested to me that the country was headed into a storm that most folks may not be able to fathom until it was too late. I half-heartedly listened to his thoughts. But I thought that what he was saying was mostly poppycock.

It turns out that he may have been clairvoyant. The coming of age of the internet, social media and the ease of affecting public opinion by spreading false information is here. And just like me, many otherwise good people are not paying attention or have bought into the concept that all politicians are bad, so what’s the difference?

All that has greased the wheels for a brilliant communicator like Donald Trump to use our uncontrolled communication channels to manipulate the public — and not for just a day.

Donald Trump had initially told Sean Hannity that he would only be a dictator only on day one. Then in January 2024 Trump extended his wanting to be a dictator to “four years — and beyond.” This seems to be what his MAGA cult devotees are wanting.

I understand that this column, and those written by others like me, are not going to change MAGA minds, but we need to be jarred wake-up and not believe it’s business as usual. The United States of America has since its founding fought wars to assure our freedoms and to protect ourselves from dictators abroad. Why would any American want to live under the thumb of our own dictator?

Remember that even the early American colonists and revolutionaries chose a rattlesnake to represent our young nation. The “Don’t Tread on Me” rattlesnake depicts a rattlesnake coiled up and ready to strike. The intended message was that America, like the rattlesnake, would not back down, nor would they attack, unless their rights were infringed on.

The flag is both a warning and a promise. Do not proffer the idea that we Americans are willing to cash in our rights to a dictator foreign or domestic, even if we think that politicians in charge of running the United States government are irresponsible and compromise our rights. Our constitution gives us the ability to throw the bums out, not replace them with something far worse — a would-be dictator.

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And just as Donald Trump is a master manipulator, others in the headlines who support him use the media to spread their misinformation. Take Mike Lindell, for example, the MyPillow CEO. He says he is “decimated” in the same breath that he indicates that he is “doing great.”

Allegedly Lindell owes two law firms that were defending him against lawsuits by Dominion and Smartmatic millions of dollars. It is reported that he has not paid them, which may be why they quit.

Fox has stopped running MyPillow ads, not for political reasons as Lindell alleges, but because MyPillow may owe them millions of dollars in unpaid advertisements. He is still running ads on Newsmax.

The more certain Donald Trump becomes of nailing the presidency, the more clear his message becomes. Trump is coming out of the closet. He is no longer just hinting, rather he is becoming clear that he plans to become the first U.S. dictator.

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“As long as I have anything to say about it, and we have a good chance of saying for four years — we have a lot to say about it for four years, and beyond,” he said before the primary to a crowd in Iowa. Make no mistake, Trump’s intention to be dictator became undeniable on Jan. 6, 2023, when he allowed his MAGA crowd to assault Capitol police, threaten to kill Vice President Mike Pence, run every lawmaker out of the House (including our own fairly elected Republican representative), and take over and destroy our Capitol building.

Finally in November 2023, he clearly warned of his plans that the U.S. would become a dictatorship. Of course, Trump warned that an authoritarian future is the fault of President Biden.

“It may also be the last election we ever have if this election doesn’t work. If this election is rigged and stolen, if bad things happen [that is Trump loses the election], our country will not survive,” Trump asserts.

The significance of Donald Trump’s statements goes beyond mere political rhetoric. They have a substantial impact on public opinion, policy making and the very fabric of American democracy.

Trump’s tenure as president was marked by a pattern of falsehoods that had significant implications for American society and politics. His statements, often lacking factual basis, not only misled the public but also undermined trust in our institutions and media.

The long-term effects of this erosion of trust and the spread of misinformation represent a challenge to the foundational principles of truth and accountability in democratic governance. It’s a stark reminder of the power of political rhetoric and the importance of critically evaluating the statements of public figures.

If you are one of those who relish living under Donald Trump’s promised dictatorship, I recommend that you go to a library and choose a book from the history section to discover what it is like living under a dictatorship. You might want to consider going sooner rather than later, as history books are already being banned in a number of places within the United States.

Bill Gindlesperger is a central Pennsylvanian, Dickinson College graduate, Pennsylvania System Of Higher Education (PASSHE) Governor, Shippensburg University Trustee, and Chairman of eLynxx Solutions. eLynxx provides cloud-software to source and manage print and mail marketing. He is a board member, campaign advisor, successful entrepreneur, published author and commentator. He can be reached at Bill.Gindlesperger@eLynxx.com.

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This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Donald Trump plans to become dictator of the U.S.