Harris slams Trump for suggesting military handle 'enemy from within' as they vie for Pennsylvania

[October 15, 2024]  By ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON, WILL WEISSERT and MARK SCOLFORO

ERIE, Pa. (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris zeroed in on former President Donald Trump 's comments suggesting the U.S. military could be used to deal with “the enemy from within” as the two presidential nominees took the fight for battleground Pennsylvania to opposite ends of the state on Monday.

Harris, at her rally in northwestern Pennsylvania, called Trump a serious threat to American democracy who is “out for unchecked power.”

“He considers anyone who doesn’t support him or who will not bend to his will an enemy of our country,” Harris said after playing a clip of the comment on the jumbo screen at her rally at an Erie arena. “This is among the reasons I believe so strongly that a second Trump term would be a huge risk for America, and dangerous.”

Democrat Harris and Republican Trump have been become fixtures in the country's largest 2024 battleground state. It was Harris' 10th visit to Pennsylvania this campaign season, and Trump's Monday town hall in suburban Philadelphia came after visits last week to Scranton and Reading.

Harris is highlighting what she says are examples of Trump's increasingly “unstable and unhinged” behavior. It's part of her effort to win over a small universe of undecided voters and tear away even a small slice of traditionally Republican voters in the fight for Pennsylvania and six other closely contested states that are expected to determine who wins next month's election.

She argued that Trump's comments in a Fox News “Sunday Morning Futures” interview are the latest example of threatening rhetoric from the former president that should concern Americans about what a potential second Trump term could look like.

Trump made the comment in response to a question about “outside agitators” potentially disrupting Election Day, pivoting to what he said is a foe closer to home.

“I think the bigger problem is the enemy from within,” Trump said. He added: “We have some very bad people. We have some sick people, radical left lunatics. And I think they’re the big — and it should be very easily handled by, if necessary, by National Guard, or if really necessary, by the military, because they can’t let that happen.”

Trump's running mate, Sen. JD Vance, defended Trump’s comments during a campaign stop in Minneapolis earlier Monday.

“Is it a justifiable use of those assets if they’re rioting and looting and burning cities down to the ground? Of course it is. Right?” Vance told reporters. “I think the question is, is it a justifiable use of assets, depends on what’s actually happening.”

Harris and Trump have thrown themselves fully into the race for Pennsylvania.

Trump beat Hillary Clinton by more than 40,000 votes in Pennsylvania on his way to winning the presidency in 2016. But Joe Biden, a Scranton native, beat Trump by about 80,000 votes in the state four years ago.

Both sides believe the race for Pennsylvania could be even closer this time.

Trump spoke at a town hall Monday in suburban Oaks. Responding to a man who said his dream of homeownership feels out of reach, Trump said regulations make it too expensive to build in some places. He repeated his pledge to increase U.S. oil drilling, which he said would drive down costs, though domestic production is already at record highs.

“We’re going to drill baby drill, we’re going to have so much energy and we’re going to bring prices down,” Trump said.

He also claimed that government data from crime statistics to jobless numbers is “fake,” alleging the numbers are manipulated to help the incumbent Democrats.

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks as an image of Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump appears on screen during a campaign rally at Erie Insurance Arena, in Erie, Pa., Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Trump cut short his remarks after twice being interrupted by medical emergencies, turning the town hall into a concert instead. After the second incident, Trump spoke for a few more minutes and then called for music. He then stood onstage — at times swaying along — as music played.

Harris' campaign called Erie a “pivot” area, a Democratic-majority city of about 94,000 people bordered by suburbs and rural areas with significant numbers of Republicans. Erie County is often cited as one of the state's reliable bellwether regions, where the electorate has a decidedly moderate voting record. Trump visited Erie on Sept. 29.

Harris also talked up early voting during her rally. Mail-in voting is well underway in the state where some 7 million people are likely to cast votes in the presidential race.

“If you have already received your ballot in the mail, please do not wait,” Harris urged her supporters. “Fill it out and return it today or tomorrow. But please get it out.”

Beforehand, she stopped by a newly opened coffee shop and record store in Erie as she continues to press her case for Black men’s support.

The visit to LegendErie Records and Coffee House, a Black-owned small business, came after her campaign unveiled a plan earlier Monday to give Black men more economic opportunities and other chances. The campaign is trying to step up outreach to Black men, a key voting bloc that has some Democrats concerned about a possible lack of enthusiasm.

Pennsylvania and its 19 electoral votes, the most of any swing state, have generated the most attention by far from the Democratic and Republican presidential campaigns. Including Monday’s scheduled events, they will have made 46 stops in the state, according to Associated Press tracking of the campaigns’ public events.

Michigan, with 33 visits, and Wisconsin, with 29, are the next most-visited states, illustrating how both campaigns are focusing on winning states that had been part of the Democrats’ so-called “blue wall” until Trump emerged as the Republican standard-bearer.

Democrats have won three straight elections for Pennsylvania governor, and both current U.S. senators are Democrats, but the state's Legislature is closely divided.

Trump rallygoer Tom Bonanno said he believed there was greater enthusiasm for Trump this year than in the former president’s two previous campaigns.

”I’m feeling a shift because the economy affects everyone,” Bonanno said. “It’s not just going to be on, you’re feeling joy or happiness or whatever they’re running on. It’s about the economy once again.”

Luther Manus, 97, a World War II and Vietnam veteran, walked from Harris' Monday night rally impressed with the candidate but was circumspect about how much she'll be able to accomplish in a polarized Washington if she wins.

“I think she’s superb,” Manus said as the arena was emptying out. But he added: "If they give her a Democratic Senate and a Democratic House, she’ll be able to do much of what she said. Without that, she’s going to have a problem, just like Obama and Biden.”

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Scolforo reported from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and Weissert from Erie, Pennsylvania. Associated Press journalists Tassanee Vejpongsa in Oaks, Pennsylvania; Carolyn Thompson in Erie, Pennsylvania; Aamer Madhani in Washington and Jonathan J. Cooper in Phoenix contributed to this report.

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