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Donald Trump has used the phrase “enemy from within” many times to describe Democrats and other Americans he dislikes. This, in and of itself, is extraordinary: A president is responsible for representing the entirety of the citizenry, not just those who think and look like him or her. The fact that the Republican sees millions of Americans as “enemies” — not “opponents,” not “foes,” but “enemies” — reflects an ugly vision.
But over the weekend, the GOP candidate went further than he’s gone before.
In an interview that aired on Fox News, Maria Bartiromo asked Trump whether he was “expecting chaos on Election Day.” As part of the question, she referred to immigrants with criminal records and those on terrorist watch-lists.
“I think the bigger problem is the enemy from within,” Trump replied. “We have some very bad people. We have some sick people, radical left lunatics.”
In the next breath, in an apparent reference to Election Day concerns, the Republican concluded, “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.”
In context, it’s difficult to avoid the conclusion that Trump was suggesting the military can, and perhaps should, be used against Americans on American soil.
It didn’t take long for his rivals and critics to seize on the rhetoric. Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz, for example, told an audience in Green Bay, “I’ll tell you what, we’ll let the lawyers decide if what he said was treason. But what I know is, it’s a call for violence, plain and simple, and it’s pretty damn un-American if you ask me.” Earlier in the day, Walz also said Trump’s comments “crossed the line.”
Hours later, it was clear the Minnesota governor’s running mate was thinking along the same lines. The New York Times reported:
Former President Donald J. Trump’s words thundered from screens at a packed campaign rally on Monday night in Erie, Pa. But the event was for Vice President Kamala Harris, who was using Mr. Trump’s own words as her campaign amplified warnings of the dangers she says he poses should he win a second term in the White House.
“After all these years, we know who Donald Trump is,” the Democratic nominee said, pointing to the “enemy from within” comments. “He is someone who will stop at nothing to claim power for himself.”
But it wasn’t just Democrats making this point. Against a backdrop of a burgeoning public conversation about whether to call Trump a “fascist,” the Republican’s own former Defense secretary, Mark Esper, appeared on CNN to reflect on his former boss’ latest comments, urging the public to take the rhetoric seriously.
“I think President Trump has learned the key is getting people around you who will do your bidding, who will not push back, who will implement what you want to do,” Esper said. “And I think he’s talked about that. His acolytes have talked about that. I think loyalty will be the first litmus test.
“So yes, of course, it concerns me on many levels, not least of which is the impact it could have on American citizens. It’s the impact on the institution of the military, the impact it could have on the professional ethic of our officers and NCOs and soldiers and sailors and airmen. So I’m concerned about all these things, all the impacts on multiple levels.”
To be sure, some Republicans, such as Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, tried to pretend that Trump didn’t say what he actually said, but that only reinforced the seriousness of the controversy: When the former president’s surrogates and sycophantic allies have to make stuff up to defend the GOP nominee, it’s because they can’t think of a way to defend the indefensible.
This post updates our related earlier coverage.