President Donald Trump on Monday defended his expanding use of federal force in US cities, insisting he is not a dictator even as he suggested that “a lot of people” might welcome one. Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump said, “I don’t like a dictator. I’m not a dictator. I’m a man with great common sense,” while mocking Democratic critics who have labeled his tactics authoritarian. The remarks came during an 80-minute news conference in which Trump signed a package of executive orders aimed at violent crime in Washington. The measures introduce a mandatory one-year jail term for burning the US flag, scrap cashless bail in the capital and tighten federal oversight of local policing. Trump portrayed the steps as a model he is prepared to replicate in other cities he deems unsafe. On Tuesday the president took his claims of authority further, telling reporters, “I have the right to do anything I want to do. I’m the president of the United States,” as he renewed threats to deploy the National Guard to Chicago without state consent. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker called the plan an unconstitutional abuse of power, while House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said the president had “no basis” for unilateral troop deployments. Roughly 800 National Guard personnel have been patrolling Washington since earlier this month under Trump’s orders, a presence that has triggered nightly protests near the White House. Civil-liberties groups warn the moves erode constitutional checks and could expand presidential powers far beyond their traditional limits, setting up a broader clash with Democratic-led states heading into the autumn.