Trump: use the National Guard against ‘enemy within’

Donald Trump has suggested deploying the National Guard or military to respond to what he termed the ‘enemy from within’ on election day.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks alongside National Border Patrol Union members at a campaign rally in Arizona. Picture: AFP.

Donald Trump has suggested deploying the National Guard or military to respond to what he termed the “enemy from within” on election day, saying in an interview that aired Sunday (Monday AEDT) that he was concerned about the prospect of chaos wrought by “radical left lunatics”.

“I think the bigger problem are the people from within. We have some very bad people. We have some sick people,” Mr Trump said during an interview on Fox News’s Sunday Morning Futures.

“It should be very easily handled by, if necessary, by National Guard, or if really necessary, by the military, because they can’t let that happen.”

Mr Trump’s remarks came in response to a question from the show’s host, Maria Bartiromo, about whether he was expecting “chaos” on election day.

At first, Mr Trump replied, “Not from the side that votes for Trump”.

When Bartiromo raised “outside agitators”, including individuals on the terrorist watch list, Mr Trump turned to his political opponents.

“I think the bigger problem is the enemy from within, not even the people that have come in and [are] destroying our country,” he said.

Later in the interview, the former president named Representative Adam Schiff, a California Democrat running for Senate, as an “enemy from within”.

Mr Schiff served as a House manager in Mr Trump’s first impeachment and later sat on the committee that investigated the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol by a mob of the former president’s supporters.

“The thing that’s tougher to handle are these lunatics that we have inside, like Adam Schiff,” Mr Trump said.

The comments marked just the latest instance of Mr Trump signalling a more strongman governing style if elected to a second term.

During a Saturday evening rally in Coachella, California, Mr Trump again outlined his Operation Aurora plan to deport all of the Tren de Aragua gang and blamed immigrants in the country for rising crime and economic insecurity.

“We’re like an occupied country,” Mr Trump said. “We’ll put these vicious and bloodthirsty criminals in jail or kick them out of the country.”

He also called Mr Schiff a “major sleaze bag” before disparaging his physical appearance.

In response, Mr Schiff said on social media that the remarks amounted to “yet another nonsensical rant about me filled with tired insults, lies about voting booths, and more, this time in my home state of California”.

“Seriously, Donald. Why are you so obsessed with me?” he wrote.

In earlier rhetoric on the campaign trail, Mr Trump has threatened political opponents with retribution, including jail.

Meanwhile, he has marvelled at the governing might of overseas leaders. Of China’s Xi Jinping, Mr Trump said, “He controls 1.4 billion people with an iron fist. He’s smart.”

On the debate stage, Mr Trump invoked Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban when Vice-President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, said “world leaders are laughing” at him.

“They call him a strongman. He’s a tough person. Smart,” Mr Trump said.

Ms Harris’ campaign seized on the Sunday interview. In a statement, a campaign spokesman said Mr Trump’s remarks “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,” said Ian Sams, a senior spokesman and adviser for the campaign.

The Wall Street Journal