"This is a democracy!": Harris unloads on Trump's "enemy within" comments during Fox News interview

In an tense interview with Fox News' Bret Baier, the vice president pushed back against Trump's threats

Published October 16, 2024 7:13PM (EDT)

Democratic presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris pauses while speaking during a campaign rally at the Rawhide Event Center on October 10, 2024 in Chandler, Arizona. Vice President Harris continues campaigning against Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump in battleground swing states ahead of the November 5 presidential election. Trump currently has a 2% lead ahead of Harris in the Arizona polls. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
Democratic presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris pauses while speaking during a campaign rally at the Rawhide Event Center on October 10, 2024 in Chandler, Arizona. Vice President Harris continues campaigning against Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump in battleground swing states ahead of the November 5 presidential election. Trump currently has a 2% lead ahead of Harris in the Arizona polls. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Kamala Harris could hardly get a word in edgewise during her interview with Fox News' Bret Baier, but when she did she made it count. 

The vice president railed against Donald Trump's recent comments that people opposed to his presidency represented an "enemy within" the United States and his cavalier attitude toward calling in the military on American citizens

"He has talked about turning the American military on American people. He has talked about going after people who are engaged in peaceful protest. He has talked about locking people up because they disagree with him," she said. "This is a democracy. The president of the United States... should be willing to be able to handle criticism without saying he'd lock people up."

Trump has repeatedly shared the idea that dissenters to his political goals are "enemies" of the United States in recent days. During his own interview with Fox News' Maria Bartiromo on Sunday, the former president said that people who disagree with him have "destroyed our country."

"We have some very bad people, sick people, radical left lunatics," he said. "And it should be easily handled by, if necessary, by National Guard, or if really necessary, by the military." 

Baier attempted to goad Harris into saying something equally disparaging about Trump voters on Wednesday, asking her if she thought his supporters were "stupid." 

"Oh, God. I would never say that about the American people," Harris said. "[Trump] is the one who tends to demean and belittle and diminish."

 


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