OPINION: A note from the ‘enemy within’

Updated: 3 minutes ago Published: 3 minutes ago

Last week, former President Donald Trump stated in an interview“I think the biggest problem is the internal enemy… we have some very bad people, we have some sick people, radical left nuts… and they should be handled very easily, if necessary, by the National Guard or, if necessary, really necessary, by the National Guard”. military… We have two enemies. We have the external enemy and then we have the internal enemy. And the enemy within, in my opinion, is more dangerous than China, Russia and all these countries…” Later in that first interview, he named Congressman Adam Schiff as an example of that “enemy within.” Without analyzing or hiding the phrase behind out-of-context gibberish, the context of these comments was clear. They were not done before a roaring crowd (although he has done that) or in the heat of a debate, but in a conversational interview on Fox News.

Since then, when he or his running mate has been asked, they have doubled down and named other political leaders with whom he (and perhaps even some of you reading this) disagree. These comments should send shivers down the spine of anyone who believes in this country, in the meaning of freedom, and in our future.

This is not an isolated comment. This is part of increasingly violent and dangerous rhetoric coming from the former president. There is no balanced argument here. One side, the side I identify with, says: “There is a serious risk that we will fall victim to the revenge dreams of an autocratic billionaire.” The other side blames us for “fear-mongering.” But I saw him say these words. I think it refers to them. You should do it too.

Like no other presidential candidate in recent memory, Trump has threatened violence or the use of the military against Americans who disagree with him and has vowed to shut down the speech when he doesn’t like the words. These unconstitutional efforts make a mockery of those who gave their lives to defend our fundamental freedoms and values.

Attempts to downplay his rhetoric are equally disturbing. These are not two different sides of an argument: they are the normalization of abnormal behavior. A presidential candidate says we must silence our opponents. We must draw attention to that statement. There is no doubt about what Trump is saying from the man who says it. He doesn’t just say it, he repeats it over and over again. I take him at his word.

This, for me, is the last of many bridges that take us too far. By your own definition, I am “the enemy within,” just like many of you or your neighbors. I will not laugh at this or brush it aside as a political stunt meant to increase his base, rally people for demonizing Americans for their values, or simply as a way to suck more funds from those who think revenge is a political sport worth playing. Their rhetoric pits neighbor against neighbor, family against family, friend against friend, and colleague against colleague. It undermines our mutual trust and the foundations of our Republic. Your vote is worth more than that.

I have no illusions about how experts think our state will vote in this election, but I do believe in the underlying strength of all Alaskans when our way of life is threatened. We have always come together for a greater good, a good that transcends petty or selfish acts. So I ask the question: “Is Trump’s vision of America really the America we want?” I think the answer to that question is a resounding “no.” Trump’s rhetoric that tears down the foundations of our democracy does not deserve our vote. But it’s a question worth asking and, when you’re in the privacy of the polls, one that you, and only you, can answer.

Tom Begich is the former Democratic Minority Leader of the Alaska Senate, where he represented central Anchorage from 2017 to 2022.

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