U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday suggested many Americans would like a dictator as he signed orders to tighten his federal clampdown on Washington and to prosecute flag-burners.

During a rambling 80-minute event in the Oval Office, Trump lambasted critics and the media as he complained that he was not getting credit for his national guard-backed crackdown on crime and immigration.

"They say 'we don't need him. Freedom, freedom. He's a dictator. He's a dictator.' A lot of people are saying: 'Maybe we like a dictator,'" Trump told reporters.