CNN anchor Jake Tapper and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) had a heated exchange Monday over former President Trump's recent comments about the U.S. military.
President Trump appeared on Fox News on Sunday and suggested the National Guard or military should be brought in on Election Day to counter potential disruption from “enemies from within,” including “radical left-wing lunatics.” .
In an interview Monday on CNN's “The Read,” Tapper asked Yonkin whether he agreed with the former president.
“Is that something you support?” a CNN host asked the governor.
Yonkin responded by pointing to the border issue, saying, “Former President Trump is talking about people coming across the border, people actually committing crimes, people bringing in drugs, human beings. It's about people who buy and sell, and it's about them.'' It turns every state into a border state. ”
He said that although he is not a border state governor, he continues to see “the effects of 10 million people crossing the border illegally every day.”
“On average, five Virginians die from a fentanyl overdose,” Youngkin said. “We have people who tried to gain access to Quantico by pushing away illegal immigrants who crashed into Quantico's main gate with box trucks, and a Virginian who was sexually assaulted by a Venezuelan gang member. So it's not fair, Jake, to say this isn't happening—”
Tapper interjected, “I never said that.”
“Clearly, we have a border crisis. Clearly, there are too many criminals who should not be in this country, and they should be jailed and completely deported,” he continued. Who should be handled by the National Guard or the military? ”
“And later in the same speech, he said that one of the lunatics he addressed was Congressman Adam Schiff,” Tapper added. “What he was talking about was using the National Guard and the military against the enemy, the lunatics of the radical left.” From the inside, you have people like Adam Schiff. ”
In response, the Virginia leader said he “cannot speak” for Trump. Rather, Yonkin said he believes the CNN anchor misunderstood the former president's rhetoric and “misrepresented his thoughts.”
The exchange came as President Trump has become increasingly vocal in the final weeks of his White House campaign with Vice President Harris. He called his domestic rivals “scum”, warned that immigrants were “conquering” American society and threatened to use the military to quell protests.
Harris' running mate, Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, also condemned Harris' comments on Sunday.
“I have to say he crossed a line that I never could have imagined in my lifetime, because we know the history of our country. Donald… To Trump, anyone who disagrees with him is an enemy.” ”
Hill has reached out to Youngkin's office and the Trump campaign for comment.
