CNN —
Former President Donald Trump said he was worried not about disruption by his supporters or foreign officials, but rather by “radical left-wing lunatics” and dealing with what the president called “the enemy from within.” On voting day, he suggested using the military to do so.
“I think the bigger problem is the people inside. There are some very bad people. Some are sick. Radical left-wing lunatics,” Trump told Fox News’ Maria Maria in an interview on “Sunday Morning Futures.” told Bartiromo.
“I think it should be dealt with very easily, by the National Guard if necessary, by the military if it really is necessary, because we cannot allow that to happen,” he added.
The former president, whose supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in an attempt to stop Congress from certifying his defeat in the 2020 election, downplayed any threats from voters.
When Bartiromo asked if he expected chaos on Election Day, the former president said, “No, I don’t think so — not on the side of voting for Trump.” As she alluded to the Justice Department’s arrest and indictment of an Afghan national for allegedly planning a terrorist attack in the United States on Election Day, and mentioned the threat of “outside agitators” and illegal immigrants, Trump spoke out about his left-wing political opponents. The focus shifted to the topic.
“I think the bigger problem is the enemy from within, not even the people who come in and destroy our country, but completely destroy and flood our country, our towns and villages,” he said. said. He was referring to immigrants, who President Trump has repeatedly attacked with dehumanizing rhetoric.
Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign seized on President Trump’s comments, saying it should “send a warning to all Americans.”
“President Trump has implied that his fellow Americans are worse ‘enemies’ than foreign adversaries,” Ian Sams, the campaign’s senior spokesperson and adviser, said in a statement Sunday. “They say they’re going to use the military,” he said. “He vowed to become a dictator ‘on day one,’ demanded the ‘abolition’ of the Constitution, and planned to surround himself with sycophants who would give him unlimited and unprecedented powers if he returned to the presidency. “The presence of Americans who care about their freedom and safety should alarm everyone.” ”
The former president has denied any wrongdoing in the years since the January 6 riot and has made a barrage of false claims despite facing federal and state charges for 2020 election interference. , sought to shift the blame for the riot onto others, including Democrats. Washington DC and Georgia respectively. He has pleaded not guilty in these cases.
President Trump is also taking steps to call into question the integrity of the 2024 election. He has been threatened with “long prison terms” for prosecuting election officials and political operatives who suggested they might commit fraud if he wins the White House again. And he has regularly indicated that he would use the judicial system as a weapon to go after 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.
