President Trump suggested using the National Guard or military to handle what he referred to as the “enemy from within” on Election Day, expressing concerns about potential chaos caused by “radical left lunatics” during an interview that aired Sunday.
“I think the bigger problem is the people from within. We have some very bad people. We have some sick people,” Trump said on Fox News’s Sunday Morning Futures. He added, “It should be very easily handled by, if necessary, the National Guard, or if really necessary, by the military, because they can’t let that happen.”
Trump’s remarks were in response to a question from host Maria Bartiromo, who asked whether he expected “chaos” on Election Day. Initially, Trump dismissed the possibility from his supporters, saying, “Not from the side that votes for Trump.” However, when Bartiromo mentioned the idea of “outside agitators,” Trump shifted his focus to his political opponents.
“I think the bigger problem is the enemy from within,” he reiterated, pointing to figures he sees as damaging the country, including Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) Schiff, who was a prominent figure in Trump’s impeachment proceedings and the Jan. 6 committee, was also called a “lunatic” by the president.
Trump’s campaign rhetoric has included threats of retribution against political opponents, and he has praised the leadership of figures like China’s Xi Jinping and Hungary’s Viktor Orbán. In the interview, he highlighted Xi’s control over 1.4 billion people, calling him “smart,” while invoking Orbán’s leadership during the debate, when his opponent, Kamala Harris, claimed “world leaders were laughing at him.”
