President Donald Trump is once again under fire after delivering a gaffe-filled press conference that left critics shaking their heads and his MAGA crowd scrambling to go on defense. On Monday, while signing a fresh batch of executive orders cracking down on crime, Trump slipped up not once but twice, first by mangling his words, then by bizarrely suggesting that Americans might actually “want a dictator.”
The press conference was meant to showcase Trump’s latest hardline policies aimed at liberal cities. Instead, it turned into a headline-grabbing fiasco when the president referred to solitary confinement as “solid confinement.” If that wasn’t enough, he then doubled down with a statement that had many gasping: “A lot of people are saying maybe we’d like a dictator.”
TRUMP: “A lot of people are saying maybe we’d like a dictator.”
He’s saying it. Are you listening? 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/RKSZF5H3TP
— The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) August 25, 2025
For a president already dogged by accusations of authoritarian instincts, the remark was instantly seized upon. Social media erupted, with critics blasting the comments as both embarrassing and chilling. One post read: “He said the quiet part out loud.” Another quipped, “First it’s solid confinement, now it’s dictator chic. What’s next?”
The blunder overshadowed the substance of Trump’s announcements, which included three major executive orders. The first sought to end cashless bail policies, accusing jurisdictions of letting criminals walk free while awaiting trial. The order, aimed at cities including Washington D.C., instructs federal officials to push local authorities to detain suspects and threatens to cut federal funds from places that refuse to comply. Critics argue the move will disproportionately punish low-income Americans who cannot afford bail.
The second order zeroed in on flag burning, a practice the Supreme Court has long recognized as protected free speech. Trump’s directive ordered federal prosecutors to bring cases against anyone caught desecrating the American flag. Attorney General Pam Bondi vowed to “vigorously prosecute” violators and even threatened deportation for noncitizens convicted of flag burning.
🚨 BREAKING: National Guard troops are set to mobilize in 19 STATES to assist DHS in a SWEEPING immigration and federal crime crackdown
THIS is what 78 million Americans voted for 🔥
Troops will act as a “support pillar” for federal agents, per Fox
More of this! pic.twitter.com/W7UeauErwG
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) August 22, 2025
Legal experts, however, were quick to point out that the order is almost certain to be challenged in court, likely running afoul of the landmark 1989 Texas v. Johnson ruling that defended flag burning as a symbolic expression under the First Amendment.
The third measure addressed crime in the nation’s capital, with Trump ordering that suspects be placed in federal custody “to the fullest extent permissible under applicable law.” This came amid Trump’s repeated threats to deploy National Guard troops to major cities like Baltimore and Chicago, following earlier moves to send federal forces into Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles.
Those deployments have already triggered fierce backlash from Democratic leaders, including California Governor Gavin Newsom and Maryland Governor Wes Moore, who have accused Trump of trampling on states’ rights.
The timing of the announcements only heightened anxiety among the American public. Just one day earlier, Trump had clashed publicly with Governor Moore after threatening to send troops into Baltimore. The feud added to an already tense relationship between the White House and Democratic officials across the country, with battles raging over policing, immigration enforcement, and Republican redistricting efforts ahead of the 2026 midterms.
