President Obama has long made clear his desire to rule in a system devoid of constitutional complexity, occasionally lamenting the fact that he is not a dictator. So he must be enjoying his trip to China this week, where he is getting the opportunity to dress like one and engage in some totalitarian roleplay.

Here are some photos of Obama dressed as a dictator paired with actual quotes of him wishing he was one, perhaps trying to remind himself: "it's only a costume."