Trump's military remarks ignite fierce democratic backlash
Democratic vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz strongly condemned Donald Trump's recent remarks about the possibility of using the military in the event of riots on election day. The Governor of Minnesota stated that the former president "crossed the line" by suggesting such a scenario.
On Sunday, in an interview with Fox News, Donald Trump discussed the potential for riots. When asked about his concerns regarding possible unrest, he responded that he does not anticipate problems from his supporters but stated that a greater threat comes from "domestic enemies." "I think the bigger problem are the people from within. We have some very bad people. We have some sick people. Radical left lunatics. I think 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," said the former US president.
Representatives of the Democratic Party sharply reacted to Trump's words. Speaking to Wisconsin voters, Tim Walz did not hide his outrage. "He crossed a line that, I have to tell you, in my lifetime, I would have never imagined because we know our history," he stated.
"Donald Trump, over the weekend, was talking about using the U.S. Army against people who disagree with him. Just so you’re clear about that, that’s you. That’s what he’s talking about. This is not some mythical thing out there. He called it "the enemy within," continued the emotional critique.
Walz emphasized that his warnings are not meant to incite fear but to act in resistance against this type of rhetoric. "I tell you that not to make you fearful or anything. I tell you that because we need to whip his butt and put this guy behind us," he added.
Is Trump's campaign getting tougher?
The portal "The Hill" assesses that Trump's statements signal an increasing sharpness in his rhetoric in the campaign's final stages. Trump had previously suggested that "domestic enemies" were a greater threat to the United States than foreign powers such as Russia or China.
During a Friday rally in Colorado, the former president called his political opponents "scum" and claimed that "they hate America." He also called for the largest deportation action in history to purge the country, once again suggesting that the military could be used for this purpose.
The political fight before the elections is increasingly taking the form of heated and controversial statements, provoking reactions from both sides of the political spectrum in the US.
