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Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris criticized Donald Trump on Monday for his alarming remarks about "the enemy within" the United States and his suggestion to potentially deploy the military domestically. This was part of her renewed effort to portray her Republican opponent as a threat to democracy.
During her campaign rally in Pennsylvania, a key swing state, Harris played a clip of Trump, the former president, telling his supporters that "those people are more dangerous—the enemy from within—than Russia."
Harris, 59, has recently urged Trump to release his health records, as she has done herself, and has called him out for his rambling statements and fixation on fictional characters like Hannibal Lecter. "A second Trump term would be a significant risk for America and dangerous. Donald Trump is increasingly unstable and unhinged," she told the audience in Erie after showing the clip.
She argued that Trump represents a danger because he views those who disagree with him as enemies. In recent rally speeches, Trump has alluded to an "enemy from within" that he claims is more perilous than any foreign threat. His campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
In a Sunday interview on Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures," host Maria Bartiromo asked Trump if he anticipated "chaos" on Election Day, to which he suggested the military could be deployed against citizens. "I think the bigger problem is the enemy from within," Trump stated, referring to "very bad people" and "radical left lunatics." He added, "It should be very easily handled, if necessary, by the National Guard, or, if really necessary, by the military, because they can't let that happen."
However, Trump would not have the authority to issue orders to the National Guard or active-duty military on Election Day, November 5, as he is no longer president.
Harris' visit to Pennsylvania on Monday marks her tenth trip to the battleground state since becoming the Democratic candidate in July. The state's 19 electoral college votes are crucial for the election outcome.
She began her visit in Erie with a stop at a Black-owned coffee shop, engaging in a discussion with Black men. The Harris campaign is concerned about declining support among Black voters.
On Monday, she announced new policy proposals aimed specifically at Black men, which include forgivable small business loans and plans to legalize recreational marijuana. The Harris campaign, along with Democrats such as former President Barack Obama, is worried about whether Black men will turn out to vote in the same numbers as in previous elections and whether they will support Harris over Trump.
According to a September NAACP poll, over a quarter of young Black men indicated they would support Trump in the upcoming election. In 2020, President Joe Biden received about 80% of the Black male vote.
The new policy initiatives are part of Harris’ strategy to directly engage Black men and make them a more integral part of her campaign in the final weeks leading up to the election. Reuters first reported these proposals, which include 1 million forgivable loans of up to $20,000 for entrepreneurs in underserved communities and a commitment to ensuring Black entrepreneurs can access the new recreational marijuana industry.
Additional proposals from Harris focus on increasing access to the cryptocurrency sector for Black Americans and launching a national health equity initiative targeting health issues like sickle cell anemia, which disproportionately affect the community.
If elected, Harris would be the second Black president and the first Black woman, as well as the first person of South Asian descent to hold the office. The rollout of these policies coincides with her anticipated interview with Charlamagne tha God, a comedian and author whose nationally syndicated radio show is popular among Black millennials.
Paraphrasing text from "Reuters" all rights reserved by the original author.