Democratic political strategist James Carville warned Sunday that former President Donald Trump’s promise to use the United States military to round up his political enemies should be taken very seriously.
Appearing on NBC‘s Inside with Jen Psaki, Carville said Vice President Kamala Harris‘ campaign should be painting her Republican rival as “scary” in the final weeks of the election.
The strategist was reacting to promises by Trump, firstly at a rally in Aurora, Colorado, on Friday, where he promised to “rescue” the city and “every town that has been invaded and conquered” as part of a speech on mass deportations.
During that speech, as he has in other recent rallies and interviews, the former president referred to “the enemy from within, the scum that hate our country” before saying this group was a bigger enemy “than China, Russia,” appearing to refer to his political opponents.
During an appearance on Fox News on Sunday, Trump made a similar claim, referring to “radical left lunatics” as the enemy.
“I think they’re the big—and 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 told the channel.
Former President Donald Trump at a rally in Prescott Valley, Arizona, on October 13. Trump has referred to “radical left lunatics” as the country’s enemy.
Rebecca Noble/Getty Images
Carville said he was shocked that Trump had come out and said he would use the U.S. military to target those who ran or spoke out against him.
“If they win, they’re going to correctly say: ‘We told you in the election what we’re going to do, and you voted for us. You have greenlighted the whole thing,'” Carville said.
He pointed to Black male voters supporting Trump and asked how well he thought they might fare should Trump allow the military to round up those who do not align with his vision.
“They have promised military round-up. They’ve promised the gates of hell will reign on the enemies. The Supreme Court has greenlighted it,” Carville continued.
“They are telling you they’re doing all of this. Pay attention to them right now, please. They’re telling you.”
Under U.S. law, specifically the Posse Comitatus Act, the president’s ability to use the military domestically is fairly limited, with a few exceptions. The act is designed to stop military interference in civilian affairs, but troops can be deployed if the president believes there has been a rebellion or insurrection.
A spokesperson for the Republican National Committee told Newsweek that Trump would be a president for all while also firing at Carville.
“President Trump has promised to be a President for all Americans, and his agenda to lower costs, stop the migrant invasion, and secure our communities will benefit families of all backgrounds,” RNC spokesperson Anna Kelly said. “No one cares about the false, incoherent ramblings of Jen Psaki and a reptilian, ancient Democrat operative on MSDNC.”
The Harris-Walz campaign released a statement expressing concern that Trump has said fellow Americans are a greater threat than foreign adversaries.
“Taken with his vow to be a dictator on ‘day one,’ calls for the ‘termination’ of the Constitution, and plans to surround himself with sycophants who will give him unchecked, unprecedented power if he returns to office, this should alarm every American who cares about their freedom and security,” Senior spokesperson and senior advisor Ian Sams said.
“What Donald Trump is promising is dangerous, and returning him to office is simply a risk Americans cannot afford.”
The former president has also promised to use the military as part of his plans for the mass deportation of illegal immigrants, along with state police and local law enforcement.
