Former US President Donald Trump suggested Sunday the potential use of military force against American citizens if they attempt to disrupt next month's election. Trump, who described fellow Americans as the "enemy from within," made the controversial remarks during an interview on Fox News' Sunday Morning Futures.

"I think the bigger problem is the enemy from within, not even the people that have come in and destroyed our country," Trump said. "We have some very bad people, radical left lunatics. And I think they're the [enemy] -- and it should be very easily handled by, if necessary, the National Guard or, if really necessary, by the military."

Trump's comments came in response to a question about the potential for unrest during Election Day. The Republican former president, who is running again in the 2024 election, claimed that American citizens posed a more significant threat than foreign powers like China and Russia.

The remarks sparked swift backlash from the campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump's Democratic opponent in the race. Ian Sams, a Harris campaign spokesperson, condemned Trump's comments as dangerous and alarming.

"I know people have grown numb to Trump over the past decade, but this should be shocking," Sams said. "Donald Trump is suggesting that his fellow Americans are worse 'enemies' than foreign adversaries, and he is saying he would use the military against them."

Sams also pointed to Trump's previous statements about being a "dictator on day one" and his support for actions that could "terminate" parts of the US Constitution. "Scary stuff," he added in a post on social media platform X.

Trump continues to repeat his widely debunked claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 election, a narrative that fueled the January 6, 2021, Capitol Riot. Supporters of Trump stormed the US Capitol in a failed attempt to overturn the election results.

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Violence and instability shaping US

In an analysis piece in The Guardian, David Smith writes that violence and uncertainty have become a feature rather than a fault in US political life. A white nationalist march in Charlottesville, Virginia, resulted in the murder of a civil rights activist. 

A new documentary video, The Last Republican, shows frightening voicemails left for former Congressman Adam Kinzinger, a Trump opponent who served on the House January 6 committee, where he was threatened with a home invasion. 

False assertions that Haitian immigrants are eating cats and dogs in Springfield, Ohio, have resulted in bomb threats and school closures.

Smith contends that this transcends party lines and recalls how in  2017, a shooter with anti-Republican beliefs opened fire on a practice session for the annual congressional baseball game, wounding five people, including House majority whip Steve Scalise. According to a University of Chicago study done in late June, more Americans advocate violence against Trump (10%) than violence for Trump (6.9%).

At his rallies, Trump supported strong-arm methods against protesters. He ridiculed Pelosi for the hammer strike, suggested shoplifters be shot, and rebellious generals be hanged for treason. He predicted a "bloodbath" if he was not elected and stated that illegal immigrants were "poisoning" American blood.

With Republicans focusing on "election integrity" operations, poll workers may encounter unacceptable levels of violence and intimidation. Opinion surveys indicate that the election will be quite close, providing enough opportunity to sow doubt, which will most certainly be fueled by Elon Musk's X social media platform.

For more, read: Violence, instability at forefront of US politics: The Guardian