Woodward on second Trump term: Americans 'better be frightened'

Veteran journalist Bob Woodward said earlier this week that Americans “better be frightened” when it comes to President-elect Trump’s upcoming second term.

“Having chronicled 10 presidents going back to Nixon, they had extraordinary power,” Woodward said Monday on CNN’s “Laura Coates Live,” later adding that Trump will “use it.”

“He used it his first term — maybe not adequately, from his own point of view. So, he is going to use it, and we better be frightened,” he told the host.

The president-elect has a history of commonly calling for antagonistic actions toward those he sees as political enemies and making veiled threats.

In October, Trump suggested during an appearance on Fox News that the National Guard or military should be employed on Election Day to fight against possible disorder from “the enemy from within,” which he said includes “radical-left lunatics”

“We have some very bad people. We have some sick people, radical left lunatics.” Trump said at the time, adding, “And I think it should be very easily handled by, if necessary, by National Guard or, if really necessary, by the military, because they can’t let that happen."

In his appearance Monday, Woodward said Trump "has totally abandoned the rational approach to getting people to do the things that need to be done in government.”

“I mean, we are in this zoo, and he's in charge for a long time and has lots of power. We should not kid ourselves," he continued. "And, I believe from doing books on him, spending hours interviewing him, that he's trying to recreate the imperial presidency.”

His comments come as former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), whom Trump selected for attorney general in his next administration, has called for taking away funds and doing away with “the FBI, CDC, ATF, DOJ, every last one of them, if they do not come to heel.”

The Hill has reached out to Trump's transition team for comment.