Trump Vows to Target 'Radical Left' in Veteran's Day Remarks

Improve the News Foundation -

Facts

  • In a post on Truth Social on Saturday 'in honor of our great Veterans on Veteran's Day,' former US President Donald Trump made a 'pledge' to 'root out the Communists, Marxists, Fascists, and Radical Left Thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country.' He also accused political extremist groups of doing 'anything possible to destroy America, and the American Dream.'1
  • During a speech the same day, Trump claimed that 'They’ll do anything, whether legally or illegally, to destroy America and to destroy the American Dream.' He also argued that 'the threat from outside forces is far less sinister, dangerous and grave than the threat from within,' and that 'if you have a capable, competent, smart, tough leader, Russia, China, North Korea, they’re not going to want to play with us.'2
  • Trump further blamed Democrats for blocking the expansion of healthcare access for veterans, causing inflation, and pushing the country toward a world war. He also accused them of treating 'illegal aliens just pouring into our country better than they treat our veterans,' adding that he would take the money used 'for the shelter and transport of illegal aliens' and divert it toward the treatment of homeless veterans.3
  • During his speech in New Hampshire, a state that has been hit particularly hard by the opioid crisis, Trump again called for the death penalty for drug dealers and praised China for making drug trafficking a capital offense. He then conducted a straw poll, asking the audience to raise their hands if they 'would be in favor of the death penalty' if they knew 'it will solve the problem.'3
  • His remarks come after an interview with The National Pulse last month in which he accused illegal immigrants of 'poisoning the blood of our country,' adding that they come from 'prisons,' 'mental institutions,' and 'insane asylums,' and that they include 'terrorists' and bring 'disease.'1
  • New York University historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat said that 'calling people 'vermin’ was used effectively by Hitler and Mussolini to dehumanize people and encourage their followers to engage in violence,' adding that when he refers to others as tyrants he's positioning himself to be the instrument by which 'freedom' is delivered.2

Sources: 1Forbes, 2Washington Post and 3The New York Times.

Narratives

  • Anti-Trump narrative, as provided by Raw Story. It's not hyperbole to compare Trump to history's worst authoritarians when he continually speaks in the same tone and with the same vocabulary as the evil dictators of the 20th century. From claiming immigrants will 'poison the country' to now calling democrats 'vermin, this is a massive alarm warning of how endangered America's democracy will be if Trump is elected in 2024.
  • Pro-Trump narrative, as provided by New York Post. Leftists have used defamatory rhetoric on Trump and Ted Cruz before which is grossly unfair. The Democrats, up to and including the party's leader Joe Biden, have tried to equate conservatism with the worst authoritarian movements in history, which is ironically the same tactic used by the most evil autocratic regimes.

Predictions