Former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate in the United States, referred to the Democratic Party and other anti-Trump forces as "enemies within" and "radical left-wing lunatics," claiming they are more dangerous than Russia and China. He also suggested that military mobilization might be necessary if chaos arises from these groups during the election. Regarding South Korea, he claimed that during his tenure, he made "great deals," successfully negotiating the South Korea-U.S. defense cost-sharing agreement (the portion of the cost for U.S. troops stationed in South Korea borne by South Korea) by leveraging the presence of U.S. forces in Korea.
Shakes Head at Possibility of Election Day Chaos... Launches Offensive Against Anti-Trump Forces
In an interview aired on Fox News' 'Sunday Morning Futures' on the 13th (local time), former President Trump was asked whether he expected chaos on Election Day, November 5th. He replied, "I don't think so," adding, "Those who vote for Trump will not think so."
Former President Trump said, "We have two enemies: external enemies and internal enemies," emphasizing, "In my opinion, the 'enemy from within' is more dangerous than all these countries (external enemies) like China and Russia." He hinted that he is the right person to handle them, saying, "If there is a smart president, he can deal with them." Furthermore, he stated, "We have very bad people. There are sick people. Radical left-wing lunatics," adding, "If necessary, the National Guard, and if really necessary, the military can easily handle them." He continued, "The military cannot ignore such events."
These remarks evoke memories of the January 6 Capitol riot by Trump supporters. Amid growing concerns that if former President Trump loses this year's closely contested election, a repeat of the election refusal incident from four years ago could occur, he dismissed such concerns and shifted the responsibility to the Democratic Party and other anti-Trump forces. This is not unrelated to President Joe Biden, a Democrat, expressing doubts about a peaceful transfer of power if Trump loses this election.
CNN reported, "Trump has tried to blame others, including the Democrats, for the January 6 Capitol riot even while under indictment," and "He has routinely stated that he would weaponize the judicial system to purge political opponents if he returns to the White House." NBC News highlighted Trump's suggestion of military mobilization, noting that the delay of several hours in deploying the National Guard during the Capitol riot was because Trump did not request their deployment.
The campaign of Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris immediately reacted. Ian Sams, chief spokesperson, said in a statement, "Trump calls Americans 'enemies' worse than foreign enemies and says he will deploy the military against them," criticizing, "He declares himself a dictator on 'day one,' demands the 'end' of the Constitution, and plans to surround himself with sycophants who will grant him unchecked and unprecedented power." He added, "What Trump promises is dangerous," and "His presidency would be an unbearable risk for Americans."
Hints at Renegotiation, Saying "We Were Taken Advantage of in Trade with Mexico, China, and the EU"
In the interview released that day, former President Trump said the last time he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was "about two days ago." When asked if Israel should attack Iran's nuclear facilities in retaliation for Iran's recent ballistic missile attack, he said, "They (Iran) must not have nuclear weapons," boasting that during his tenure, the U.S. prevented various countries from purchasing Iranian oil. When asked if he would apply maximum pressure on Iran if re-elected, he replied, "I can't say," adding, "I don't want to reveal what I will do in negotiations in advance."
Former President Trump also emphasized that one of his priorities is renegotiating trade agreements, including the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). He said, "We were taken advantage of by Mexico, China, Canada, and the European Union (EU)," adding, "I want to make much better deals." Last week, in a speech in Detroit, Trump had already announced, "Upon inauguration, I will notify Mexico and Canada of the activation of the six-year renegotiation clause of the USMCA." At that time, he took a tough stance, saying he would impose large-scale tariffs of 100%, 200%, or even 1000% to prevent Chinese cars produced in Mexico from bypassing existing high tariff barriers and entering the U.S.
In this process, he also mentioned South Korea. Former President Trump said, "I made a great deal with South Korea (during my tenure)," adding, "I told them (South Korea), 'There are 40,000 soldiers (U.S. troops in Korea) there, and they are in a dangerous situation.'" This refers to negotiating defense cost-sharing with South Korea by leveraging the presence of U.S. forces in Korea during his tenure. The actual number of U.S. troops stationed in South Korea is about 28,500. Accordingly, there is speculation that if Trump wins the November election, he may again demand renegotiations by pushing for the withdrawal or reduction of U.S. troops in Korea. He also claimed that he got along "very well" with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and argued that if he had not been in power, a nuclear war between North Korea and the U.S. would have occurred.
When asked how he would finance his campaign promises, former President Trump said, "Because of taxes and tariffs, car companies will return to the U.S." In response to criticism that imposing a 200% tariff on products would only raise consumer prices, he repeatedly dismissed it, saying, "That's not true." He also said that upon inauguration, he would prevent foreign companies from harming U.S. car companies, stating, "Whether it's 200% or 500%, it doesn't matter. I will set a number so high that not a single car can be sold in the U.S. I don't want to harm our companies. Many car companies (factories) will come to the U.S." He emphasized, "I won't allow factories to be built across the border (in Mexico) and sell millions of cars to the U.S."
He also continued his offensive against his presidential rival, Vice President Harris. Referring to a recent interview of Vice President Harris aired on CBS's news program '60 Minutes,' former President Trump claimed, "She is incompetent. She appeared on 60 Minutes and gave the dumbest answers no one has ever heard." He added, "So they (CBS) discarded the entire answer and edited in a different answer she gave to a completely different question. I suspect they have done this many times," and concluded, "CBS should have its broadcasting license revoked."
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