It’s a remarkably controversial idea that a sitting president would use US military force against American citizens, and it is also a topic in Tapper’s wheelhouse. He explained why Trump’s rhetoric is so outrageous in an on-air essay and grilled Glenn Youngkin when the Virginia Governor tried, and failed, to make light of Trump’s comment and pivot away.
“He’s talking about, using the military against Democrats,” Tapper responded to Johnson’s warning about rhetoric from “colleagues in the House say he must be eliminated. He must be extinguished.”
TAPPER: In multiple interviews this week, Donald Trump repeatedly referred to prominent Democrats and others on the left in the United States, American citizens as, quote, the enemy from within, unquote. And he suggested as president he would want to use the National Guard or military against them. Let me play some of that for our viewers.
(CLIP) TRUMP: The bigger problem are the people from within. We have some very bad people. We have some sick people, radical left lunatics. And I think there 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.
TAPPER: One of the first things you did when you joined Congress was to create the Honor and Civility Caucus. Those wanting to use the military against political opponents, would that pass muster with the civility?
JOHNSON: That’s not, Jake. You know, that’s not what he’s talking about there. What he’s talking about is marauding gangs of dangerous, violent people who are destroying public property.
TAPPER: Nope! He talked about Adam Schiiff, the Pelosis…he did not try…
JOHNSON: That and threatening those other American citizens.
TAPPER: Governor Youngkin tried this with me, too. That’s he was very clear. Let me let me play because he was asked about this later on, because Fox always likes to give Donald Trump an opportunity to clean it up. And he always says, no, no, I said what I meant. Here’s what he said when asked about it the next day.
(CLIP) TRUMP: It is the enemy from within. And they’re very dangerous. They’re Marxists and communists and fascists and they’re sick. I use a guy like Adam Schiff because they made up the Russia, Russia, Russia hoax. It took two years to solve the problem. Absolutely nothing was done wrong, etc.. To say they’re dangerous to our country. We have China, we have Russia, we have all these countries. If you have a smart president, they can all be handled the more difficult or, you know, the Pelosis. These people, they’re so sick and they’re so evil.
TAPPER: Is that we’re talking about using the U.S. military against …NOT marauding gangs of Venezuelans?
JOHNSON: Wait a minute. Wait, Hold on.
TAPPER: Adam Schiff. Nancy Pelosi, Nancy Pelosi’s husband. So let me just say, if a Democratic presidential candidate said that you and your wife for evil and that the military should be used against you, I would say that’s disgusting.
JOHNSON: Well, thank you. And and some have said that about us because they don’t like my politics. I did not hear President Trump in that clip say he’s going to sic the military on Adam Schiff. That’s not what he’s saying. You got two different clips in two different context. What President Trump is talking about is that they have been attacking and maligning him from the day he came down that golden escalator that everybody knows. That’s true. In 2015, 2016, that’s when this began. He’s been the most attacked, maligned political figure in US history. They’ve tried to kill him twice in the last few months.
TAPPER: Who’s they?
JOHNSON: I mean, this is real. And he feels that acutely. And Jake, you were two that you were under attack like he is all the time, every day.
TAPPER: Who’s they?
JOHNSON: They, I mean, Iran, who has assassination attempts against him.
TAPPER: But that’s not…
JOHNSON: Crazy dangerous part of the country. .
TAPPER: But Adam Schiff and Nancy Pelosi are not trying to assassinate Donald Trump. I mean, there’s this conflation of…
JOHNSON: They’re not, Jake. They’re they’re not. But no, but the political attacks have been relentless and they have been baseless. And they made up the Russian collusion hoax and they went after him and they have been going after him ever since. They tried to impeach him twice. I mean, they’ve done real damage in the American psyche. What I’m talking about is the political attacks that are so over the top. Kamala Harris is used language saying he’s so dangerous to the country. I mean, I’ve had colleagues in the House say he must be eliminated. He must be extinguished…
TAPPER: He’s literally talking about, using the military against Democrats. I mean he’s literally talking…
JOHNSON: No, he’s not. No, no, he’s not, Jake.
TAPPER: Yes he is!
JOHNSON:No, he’s not. No. He’s talking about using the National Guard in the military to keep the peace in our streets in the summer of 2020 that my Democratic colleagues call this summer of love. It was crazy. It was mayhem. And Democratic progressive mayors and governors allowed it to go on, including Tim Walz, who allowed Minneapolis to burn. And it’s still not rebuilt. Look, Trump is talking about restoring law and order. And I’m telling you, you can market people and the media can market. But that resonates with the American people. They are sick of being afraid on the streets of their cities. Donald Trump can bring order back to the chaos. They know that. So they’re willing to give a little on his, you know, social media posts and some fun language. He uses it. He can rally.
TAPPER: He called January 6th a day of lov e . He said that the January 6th criminals the the prisoners who violently attacked your place of work. He compared them to the victims of Japanese internment camps. And that guy is in favor of law and order.
JOHNSON: Yes, President Trump had and kept law and order when he says at the campaign rallies, except on weekends, have hot wars around the globe during his administration. Now, look, he’s right. Russia did not invade Ukraine under his watch. Israel was not attacked viciously by Iran and its proxies because they were afraid to do so under art and that commander in chief under President Trump. They’re not afraid right now. Our allies are nervous. Our enemies are empowered because they see an opportunity. The only person that they fear less are enemies abroad. The only person they fear less than Joe Biden is Kamala Harris. At the end of the day, when you go into the ballot box, I would just encourage everybody, ask yourself quietly, are you comfortable with Kamala Harris being the commander in chief of the US armed forces at the most dangerous moment since World War II? She could not handle that. Our enemies would have an opportunity there. And people think about those things, and that’s why they’re going to vote for Donald Trump.
Watch above via CNN.
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