Donald Trump’s rhetoric reaches new levels of extreme – but it may not make a difference to voters
Donald Trump has outdone himself.
His rhetoric has long been extreme but, in campaign remarks as it heads towards a close, it’s more so.
Consider the direct quotes from his “enemy within” interview on Fox News on 13 October.
Asked about “bureaucrats undermining you” in a second term, he replied: “We have two enemies: we have the outside enemy, and then we have the enemy from within.
“And the enemy from within, in my opinion, is more dangerous than China, Russia, and all these countries.”
Referring to Adam Schiff, a Democratic candidate for the Senate, he says: “Adam ‘Shifty’ Schiff, who’s a total sleazebag, is going to become a senator. But I call him the enemy from within.”
Asked whether he expects chaos on election day from outside agitators, he replied: “I think the bigger problem are the people from within.
“We have some very bad people, we have some sick people, radical left lunatics.
“It should be very easily handled by, if necessary, by National Guard or, if really necessary by the military.”
Critics have interpreted the remarks as a threat to use the military against political opponents, even though he would need to be president to try.
They accuse Trump of shaping an authoritarian agenda – true, they say, because it’s laid out in his own words.
Donald Trump, after all, is a man who has used dehumanising language in discussing particular groups, has undermined institutions that keep a check on power, threatened the media and once told an interviewer he would not be a dictator “except on day one.”
If he does have the look and sound of an autocrat-in-waiting, it is not seen or heard by his supporters.
‘Far-left activists’
Of the “enemy within” remarks, Trump’s running mate JD Vance dismissed the notion he was talking of using the military against political rivals.
He said: “We have various far-left activists who are talking about civil unrest in this country if Donald Trump were to be elected president again.
“If you have people who are rioting in American streets, whether they’re Democrats or Republicans, whatever their political persuasion is, we’re not going to let that happen.
“We believe in law and order in this country. That’s what Donald Trump is talking about.”
It is a question of language and how it lands.
‘Fascist to the core’
In an explosive intervention into the discussion, Trump has been branded a “fascist” by his most senior military adviser in office.
General Mark Milley, retired, is quoted as calling Trump “fascist to the core” and “the most dangerous person to this country”.
It is authoritative commentary from a man who was in the room and it finds an echo.
Major-General Randy Manner, retired, sees parallels between Trump and Adolf Hitler, no less.
Maj-Gen. Manner is a member of the National Security Leaders for America, a group of retired, senior members of the military.
They span the political divide but, as a collective body, have thrown their backing behind Kamala Harris.
Maj-Gen. Manner told Sky News: “It is 100% true, according to the definition, that Trump is a fascist.
“People who are powerful and authoritarian align, so the dangers to the world are significant, in terms of worsening the threshold for peaceful co-existence.
“Many of the attributes of what Trump has been doing here in the United States emulate the actions taken by Adolf Hitler between 1922 and 1933.
“There are so many similarities of style, of technique, of divide the people and have a small group of thugs do your dirty work for you, without any regard to the rule of law.
“There are very real similarities.”
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Kamala Harris clearly believes it presents an opportunity to unstick the polls.
Having bounced on to the campaign stage extolling joy and opportunity, she has pivoted back to democracy and the threat posed, she claims, by Donald Trump.
It will be for the voter to assess what Trump means and whether what he says should be taken seriously – and if not, why not?