Leroy N. Soetoro
2024-10-16 00:52:15 UTC
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Permalinkelection-day-enemy-within-1968345
Former President Donald Trump suggested that an "enemy from within" could
threaten Election Day security, saying in an interview with Fox News host
Maria Bartiromo on Sunday that "if necessary" the National Guard or
military may have to intervene, sparking alarm online.
On Fox News' Sunday Morning Futures, Bartiromo asked Trump, the Republican
presidential nominee, "What are you expecting? Joe Biden said he doesn't
think it's going to be a peaceful Election Day."
During a White House press briefing, Biden said last week that he is
confident that the upcoming election will be "free and fair," but said he
was concerned about the transfer of power being peaceful on account of
Trump's words and actions following his loss in 2020.
Trump responded, "I think the bigger problem is the enemy from within...We
have some very bad people, some sick people, radical left lunatics. And it
should be very easily handled by, if necessary, by National Guard, or if
really necessary, by the military."
At another point during the interview, he said, "We have two enemies. We
have the outside enemy. And, and then we have the enemy from within. And
the enemy from within, in my opinion, is more dangerous than China,
Russia, and all these countries."
Steven Cheung, Trump's campaign spokesperson, told Newsweek in an email
Sunday night: "President Trump is 100% correct—those who seek to undermine
democracy by sowing chaos in our elections are a direct threat, just like
the terrorist from Afghanistan that was arrested for plotting multiple
attacks on Election Day within the United States."
On October 8, the Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a criminal complaint
against Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi for "conspiring to conduct an Election Day
terrorist attack in the United States on behalf of the Islamic State of
Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS)," according to the department's press release.
The former president's "enemy from within" comments raised concern on
social media.
A video segment of the interview has been widely circulating on X,
formerly Twitter, with over 2.9 million views as of Sunday evening.
New Yorker staff writer Susan Glasser reposted the X video and wrote, "The
enemy within. Straight up language of dictators and tyrants, who want to
use the military on their own people."
Trump made a controversial comment about being a dictator while speaking
with Fox News' Sean Hannity in December 2023, telling the host that he
won't be a dictator in his hypothetical second term "except on day one."
"We're closing the border and we're drilling, drilling, drilling. After
that, I'm not a dictator," he said.
His drilling comment was a reference to his vow to expand oil drilling in
the United States. He later said that the comments were in a "joking
manner." Trump also said that "I'm not going to have time for
retribution."
In reference to his December comment, lawyer, musician, and broadcaster
Steve Martin, replied on X to a video segment of the Sunday exchange and
wrote: "If he wins he will declare Martial Law the first day. That's why
he says he only wants one day as dictator."
Jon Favreau, former President Barack Obama's speechwriter and Pod Save
America co-host, said of the exchange on X, "Donald Trump floats sending
the U.S. military after U.S. citizens who don't support him."
Ian Sams, a spokesperson for Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign,
released a statement on Sunday in a campaign email: "Donald Trump is
suggesting that his fellow Americans are worse 'enemies' than foreign
adversaries, and he is saying he would use the military against them. This
should alarm every American who cares about their freedom and security.
What Donald Trump is promising is dangerous, and returning him to office
is simply a risk Americans cannot afford."
Election Day this year is November 5 and it will be the first presidential
election since 2020, and the January 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.
The former president currently faces four felony counts related to alleged
efforts to overturn the 2020 election results leading up to the riot where
thousands of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol building in an attempt
to stop Congress from certifying Joe Biden's 2020 election victory. Trump
maintains his innocence in the case and says it is politically motivated.
The riot erupted following claims from Trump that the election had been
stolen from him via widespread voter fraud, despite there being no
evidence to back up his claims. The insurrection resulted in one protester
being killed and dozens of police officers injured.
--
We live in a time where intelligent people are being silenced so that
stupid people won't be offended.
Durham Report: The FBI has an integrity problem. It has none.
No collusion - Special Counsel Robert Swan Mueller III, March 2019.
Officially made Nancy Pelosi a two-time impeachment loser.
Thank you for cleaning up the disaster of the 2008-2017 Obama / Biden
fiasco, President Trump.
Under Barack Obama's leadership, the United States of America became the
The World According To Garp. Obama sold out heterosexuals for Hollywood
queer liberal democrat donors.
President Trump boosted the economy, reduced illegal invasions, appointed
dozens of judges and three SCOTUS justices.