Republican nominee former President Donald Trump repeated on Sunday to Fox News's Howard Kurtz his contention that former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Adam Schiff (both D-CA) are "the enemy within" and may have confirmed that he could potentially use law enforcement or the military against them if elected.
“I think the bigger problem are the people from within. We have some very bad people. We have some sick people. Radical left lunatics,” Trump said on October 13 to Maria Bartiromo, also on Fox News.
“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,” he added, referring to the possibility of Election Day violence.
Kurtz tried to clarify Trump's comments during an interview Sunday on "Mediabuzz."
“Are you prepared to say now that you will not use law enforcement to punish or prosecute your political opponents?” Kurtz asked the former president on Sunday on "Mediabuzz."
“Excuse me, that’s what they’re using on me,” Trump replied before alluding to the classified documents case in Florida.
“They have weaponized the government against me,” Trump said, adding, “I don’t want to do that, because that’s a bad thing for the country. I don’t want to do that. I don’t know who said — I haven’t said that I would, but they have done it.”
“These are bad people. We have a lot of bad people. But when you look at ‘Shifty Schiff’ and some of the others, yeah, they are, to me, the enemy from within,” Trump said in an interview on Fox News’ “MediaBuzz” that aired Sunday.
“He’s a political opponent of yours, but is he an enemy?” Kurtz asked.
“Of course he’s an enemy, he’s an enemy,” Trump said, adding that he tried to put Donald Trump Jr. in jail over the Russian collusion narrative, which turned out to be false.
“I think Nancy Pelosi is an enemy from within,” he went on. “She lied. She was supposed to protect the Capitol.”
Trump also said he offered Pelosi 10,000 National Guard troops, which she refused.
Some of Trump's Republican allies have defended his comments. New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu said Trump was using hyperbole to "rev up his base" and that he didn't actually go after political opponents with law enforcement or the military when he was president.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said Trump was talking about going after violent gangs on Election Day, not his political opponents. “Trump is talking about restoring law and order,” Johnson said. “That resonates with the American people.”
