Trump proposes employing the military against internal adversaries on Election Day.
"I believe the main issue lies within our own ranks. We've got some real rotten apples. We've got some disturbed individuals. Radical left nutjobs," Trump mentioned to Fox News' Maria Bartiromo during an interview on "Sunday Morning Futures."
"I think it could be effortlessly managed if required, perhaps by the National Guard, or if it truly comes to that, by the military, because they can't afford to let that happen," he continued.
The previous president, whose followers invaded the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, with the goal of hindering Congress' certification of his 2020 election defeat, played down any threat from his supporters.
"No, I don't believe — not from the side that votes for Trump," the former president responded when Bartiromo asked whether he anticipated chaos on Election Day. When she hinted at the Justice Department apprehending and charging an Afghan national for supposedly planning a terrorist attack in the US on Election Day and alluded to the danger of "outside agitators" and unauthorized immigrants, Trump shifted the conversation to his adversaries on the left.
"I believe the bigger problem is the opposition from within, not even the people who have infiltrated our country and are destroying it, let me tell you, utterly destroying it, the towns, the villages, they're being flooded," he stated, referencing immigrants whom Trump has repeatedly criticized with degrading language.
Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign took advantage of Trump's comments, suggesting they should "terrify every American."
"Trump is implying that his fellow Americans are worse 'enemies' than foreign enemies, and he is indicating he would use the military against them," Ian Sams, a senior spokesperson and adviser for the campaign, said in a statement on Sunday. "When combined with his pledge to be a dictator from 'day one,' calls for the 'termination' of the Constitution, and plans to surround himself with sycophants who will give him unlimited, unprecedented power if he returns to office, this should frighten every American who values their freedom and security."
The former president has, since the January 6 insurrection, maintained his innocence and shifted blame for the riot onto others, including Democrats, in a barrage of false claims. He has also faced federal and state charges for meddling in the 2020 election in Washington, DC, and Georgia, respectively, and has pleaded not guilty in those cases.
Trump has also been setting the stage to challenge the integrity of the 2024 election. He's threatened, if he wins the White House again, prosecution and 'lengthy prison sentences' for election officials and political operatives, who he suggested could cheat. And he has frequently hinted at weaponizing the justice system to pursue his political opponents if voters return him to the White House.
CNN's Jack Forrest, Sam Fossum, Marshall Cohen, Daniel Dale and Kate Sullivan contributed to this report.
In the context of Trump's comments, the bigger challenge to America's political stability might be internal dissent, as he alleges infiltration and destruction by adversaries within the country. Furthermore, the rhetoric from Trump regarding potential prosecution and lengthy prison sentences for election officials, if he returns to power, raises concerning questions about the future of politics and the rule of law.
