US Election 2024: Vance dismisses concerns over Donald Trump’s ‘enemy within’ remarks

JD Vance, a Senator from Ohio and Republican vice presidential candidate, addressed concerns on Thursday regarding former President Donald Trump's recent comments about using the military to manage internal threats. Speaking at a rally in Pittsburgh, Vance dismissed the idea that a future Trump administration would target its own citizens with military force, labelling such claims as media sensationalism.

At the event, when asked if Trump’s recent mention of the “enemy from within” implied he would consider using the military against political opponents, Vance dismissed the suggestion. “Of course not,” he responded, criticizing the media’s emphasis on Trump’s remarks. “It’s completely preposterous,” Vance added.

He clarified that Trump’s statements were about maintaining law and order within the country, adding, “The media picks up on this question when he makes this observation that we’ve also got to have law and order in our own country too because this is an important issue.”

The controversy stems from a recent interview in which Trump described radical left-wing groups as a domestic threat. Speaking on Fox News last Sunday, Trump remarked, “Radical left lunatics could be very easily handled, if necessary, by the National Guard, or if really necessary, by the military.” He suggested that these internal actors posed a greater threat than immigrants, whom he has often criticized. “I think the bigger problem is the people from within. We have some very bad people. We have some sick people.” He reiterated that the military could step in if necessary, saying, “They can’t let that happen.”

Vance defended Trump's broader message, citing the violent unrest in US cities during the summer of 2020 following the murder of 46-year-old black American man George Floyd by a white police officer in Minneapolis. “What President Trump has said quite directly is that if that ever happens again—if you ever have people who think that they can not just exercise their First Amendment right, but loot and riot and burn down American cities—we are going to go after them, and we’re going to go after them hard,” Vance said.

He also criticized the media's focus on the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, where Trump supporters stormed the Capitol, delaying the certification of the 2020 election results. “The media loves to talk about January the sixth,” Vance commented. “If you committed acts of violence, then you should be prosecuted for them. Everybody believes that.”

As the election approaches, Trump's comments on managing internal unrest and the possible role of the military remain a point of contention between his supporters and critics.