Ex-Trump Aide Issues Warning About Military Being Deployed Against Citizens
October 15, 2024
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A former aide to Donald Trump issued a warning about the National Guard being deployed against American citizens during an interview with CNN, saying that Americans should take Trump’s words seriously.
In an interview with FOX News’ Maria Bartiromo on Sunday, Trump responded to Joe Biden saying he’s not confident the transfer of power after the election will be peaceful due to Trump previously disputing the results of the 2020 election.
Trump said, “I think the bigger problem is the enemy from within…We have some very bad people, some sick people, radical left lunatics. And it should be very easily handled by, if necessary, by National Guard, or if really necessary, by the military.”
His comments raised concern on social media as people interpreted it to mean he would consider deploying the military and the National Guard against U.S. citizens.
Former Secretary of Defense Mark Esper listening as former president Donald Trump speaks as he is being sworn in. Esper recently warned Americans to “take seriously” Trump’s comments about deploying the military against US citizens… Former Secretary of Defense Mark Esper listening as former president Donald Trump speaks as he is being sworn in. Esper recently warned Americans to “take seriously” Trump’s comments about deploying the military against US citizens on CNN.
Oliver Contreras/Associated Press
Trump’s campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung told Newsweek in an email on Sunday, “President Trump is 100% correct—those who seek to undermine democracy by sowing chaos in our elections are a direct threat, just like the terrorist from Afghanistan that was arrested for plotting multiple attacks on Election Day within the United States.”
Mark Esper, Trump’s former secretary of defense, spoke to CNN’s Kaitlan Collins about Trump’s comments. “I think we should take those words seriously,” he said.
When asked if he feared that Trump would try to utilize the military against US citizens, Esper said, “Yes, I do of course because I lived through that and I saw over the summer of 2020 where President Trump and those around him wanted to use the National Guard in various capacities and cities such as Chicago, Portland, and Seattle.”
The comment relates to an allegation from his 2022 book A Sacred Oath that Trump made remarks about invoking the National Guard or the military to “shoot protestors” at the George Floyd marches in 2020.
In a statement to CBS at the time, Trump said in part, “This is a complete lie, and 10 witnesses can back it up. Mark Esper was weak and totally ineffective, and because of it, I had to run the military.”
Esper went on to say that he does not believe Trump has the authority under the law to deploy the military against US citizens, with the only exceptions being if it was “some type of civil disobedience or insurrection.” However, another expert, retired Major General Randy Manner, who has endorsed Kamala Harris, disagreed, telling CNN that if elected Trump could use the National Guard “almost in any way that he wants.”
Newsweek reached out to the Trump campaign for comment via email outside of business hours.
Newsweek also reached out to Esper for comment via email outside of business hours.
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