Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz on Monday described Donald Trump’s threat to use the US military to attack “the enemy from within” as anything but normal, calling the former president’s words “pretty damn un-American.”
In an interview broadcast Sunday, Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo asked Trump whether Americans should be concerned about the potential for election day violence from “outside agitators.”
“The bigger problem is the enemy within,” Trump responded.
“We have some very bad people, we have some sick people, radical left-wing lunatics. And it should be handled very easily by, if necessary, by the National Guard, or, if really necessary, by the military,” he continued.
At a rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Walz said Trump’s words were intended as a threat to anyone who opposed him.
“He’s talking about you,” the Minnesota governor told the crowd. “He’s talking about someone who comes to a rally to express his love and commitment to our democracy. Donald Trump sees that as an enemy.”
Walz added that he found the former president’s comments “quite un-American,” citing his own military service.
“As someone who proudly wore the uniform of this country, as someone who is now commander-in-chief of the Minnesota National Guard, the idea of sending American military personnel against American citizens sickens me,” Walz said. “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.”
Several former Trump administration officials have raised alarms about the prospect of him securing another term.
“No one has ever been as dangerous to this country as Donald Trump,” former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley told Bob Woodward in an interview for the journalist’s new book, “War.” ‘Now I realize he is a total fascist. He is the most dangerous person for this country.”
Walz invoked Milley while emphasizing the extraordinary nature of Trump’s comments on Fox News.
“If anyone wants to pretend that this is a normal conversation that Donald Trump is having, just dismiss it,” Walz said.
Mark Esper, who served as defense secretary under Trump, told CNN’s “The Source” that Trump’s comments appear to be consistent with previous remarks about using his second term to seek retaliation against his political rivals.
“I think we should take these words seriously,” Esper said.
