When will you know if Trump plans to operate as a dictator or not? Most likely, when he is confronted with federal court orders enjoining various of his new, radical immigration policies. If he obeys them, you can probably breathe a sigh of relief; if he doesn’t, on the basis that the president can do no wrong (particularly when he is carrying out a perceived mandate from the American people), you can expect the worst.
As for me, I have very little faith that Trump 2.0, after his most recent experiences with the law, will pay any attention to court orders that he dislikes. And don’t expect his Republican buddies to do anything about it. Some of them will be cheering him on, while the rest will grumble a bit in private, but keep quiet in public for fear of offending the base.