Trump’s open support of using the armed forces in this way contradicts a frequent claim from the right that the right to bear arms in the Second Amendment is meant as a check on government overreach. The scandal-plagued NRA, who has made that argument while opposing restrictions on guns, is supporting Trump in the election.

Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance, attempted to play damage control the next day when asked by reporters about the precedent-breaking comment.

Asked if going after Americans this way was a justifiable use of power, Vance said, “Is it a justifiable use of those assets if they’re rioting and looting and burning cities down? Of course it is.”

Vance’s comments did not condemn or rebuke Trump’s premise, but instead added extra details that would make a military deployment sound more reasonable.

In an appearance on CNN’s The Lead with Jake Tapper, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin took a different tactic and brought up the notion of immigration policy, something Trump had not invoked.

“It’s my belief that what former President Trump is talking about are the people that are coming over the border that are in fact committing crimes, that are bringing drugs, that are trafficking humans, and that are turning every state into a border state,” Youngkin said.

Tapper pressed him, noting that Trump was not speaking about immigration. He then read a transcript of what Trump told Fox.

In response, Youngkin replied, “I do think that you are misinterpreting and misrepresenting his thoughts.”

Florida Rep. Mike Waltz also appeared on CNN and when confronted with Trump’s statement by anchor John Berman said, “I don't think that's what he said. I think you're connecting some dots there.”

His fellow Florida congressman, Rep. Byron Donalds, took another tactic in his CNN appearance. Without addressing the core substance of Trump’s statement, Donalds said, “Obviously we don’t want to have the United States military—we’re not going to have that be deployed in the United States. It’s been longstanding law in our country since the founding of the republic.”

The Republican fumbling stands in contrast to the clear condemnation of Trump’s statement from the Democratic ticket.

At a rally, Vice President Kamala Harris played video of Trump’s interview along with similar remarks of his and said, “This is among the reasons I believe so strongly that a second Trump term would be a huge risk for America, and dangerous.” She added “Donald Trump is increasingly unstable and unhinged. And he is out for unchecked power. That’s what he’s looking for.”

Her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz, told rally attendees that Trump’s reference to an “enemy from within” is “about you.”

“He’s talking about someone that comes to a rally to express their love and their commitment to our democracy. Donald Trump sees that as an enemy,” Walz added.

The Harris/Walz campaign also released a campaign ad, “Enemy Within,” to highlight Trump’s statement. Clips of his rhetoric are juxtaposed with footage of an interview with former Trump administration official Olivia Troye, who says, “I do remember the day that he suggested that we shoot people on the streets.”

- YouTube