In his interview with Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo, former President Donald Trump put forth the idea of utilizing military power to deal with those who disagree with him on the polling day. ‘The primary issue, I believe, is the internal adversaries,’ Trump suggested when Bartiromo questioned about possible ‘election day chaos’ brought about by immigrants. He further identified ‘utterly diabolical people, some mentally disturbed beings, extreme left-wing maniacs,’ who, according to him, could be effectively controlled by National Guard or, if extremely needed, the military.
Trump, throughout his electoral campaign, painted a rather bleak portrayal of the United States, a country where the armed forces employ brutality to apprehend and deport immigrants, quell protests, and chase after criminals. His language reeked of an aggressive, totalitarian tone and he once reiterated his aspiration to play the ‘dictator’ for ‘a single day’ if given the opportunity.
Speaking at a gathering in Iowa the previous year, Trump committed to employing federal forces to cleanse our cities of crime. Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco, in his view, were ‘hubs of unlawful activities’ helmed by Democrats. Reports suggest that during Trump’s tenure as president, he developed a fascination with the concept of conducting mass executions against gang affiliates and drug lords.
The prior president also proposed the idea of deploying a massive ‘hundreds of thousands’ of soldiers to seal off the southern border and erect immigrant detention facilities. He has shown signs of using military force to carry out mass deportations, potentially leading to massive public protests.
‘If Trump decides to squash it with military force, I foresee a great deal of civil disobedience, followed by potential violence,’ forewarned a Harvard professor specializing in presidential power last month. The backers of Trump, according to private emails, mulled over the notion of employing troops to ‘halt riots’ initiated by protestors.
Trump conferred with Time Magazine in April, saying, ‘I would definitely utilize the National Guard, in the event that the police failed to put a halt to’ protests. It is worth mentioning that in his presidency, Trump had suggested that the military open fire on protestors and illegal immigrants.
The Insurrection Act of 1807 gives the President considerable freedom to deploy armed forces during crises to suppress civil objection. ‘It’s a colossal blank cheque, quite susceptible to misuse; it’s simple to envisage misuse,’ one Harvard law professor and the leader of the Presidential Reform Project asserted to NPR.
Democratic figures such as Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Rep. Jamie Raskin are striving to introduce legislation that would amend the law and impose new restrictions. However, if Trump triumphs in the November election, these reform efforts might already be deemed too late.
Historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat warned in an NBC News interview that Trump’s intimidations to suppress opposition echo echo a familiar autocratic theme. ‘Once autocrats solidify their governance, any situations that endanger their power, or unveil their corrupt practices, or leak any detrimental details are outlawed,’ Ben-Ghiat explained.
She went on with her interpretation that Trump is ‘practicing, essentially, his potential role as head of state,’ mimicking the actions of other leaders Trump has openly admired, such as Orban, Modi and Putin. These are the authoritarian rulers of Hungary, India, and Russia, respectively, who have been frequently praised by Trump.