A video from the 2024 presidential campaign is circulating again in early 2026, drawing fresh attention to comments former Vice President Kamala Harris made about then-candidate Donald Trump’s rhetoric on using the U.S. military in response to domestic opponents he described as “the enemy within.”
In the clip, filmed during a campaign rally, Harris warned that Trump’s language suggested he was willing to direct military force at Americans based on political disagreement. She said:
“Donald Trump intends to use the United States military against American citizens who simply disagree with him. People he calls, quote, ‘the enemy within.’ America, this is not a candidate for president who is thinking about how to make your life better. This is someone who is unstable, obsessed with revenge, consumed with grievance, and out for unchecked power.”
Harris framed Trump’s approach as part of a longer pattern of fear-based politics, and contrasted it with what she described as core American ideals. Pointing to the motto “E Pluribus Unum” (out of many, one), she called it more than a slogan—describing it as a guiding principle for the country.
“Our democracy doesn’t require us to agree on everything. In fact, we like good arguments from time to time… The fact that someone disagrees with us does not make them ‘the enemy within.’ They are family, neighbors, classmates, co-workers. They’re fellow Americans. And as Americans, we rise and fall together.”
She argued that the nation had been stuck in a cycle of distrust and chaos for too long, and urged supporters to move away from blame and toward solidarity.
“It is time to stop pointing fingers. We have to stop pointing fingers and start locking arms. It is time to turn the page on the drama and conflict, the fear and division.”
Harris closed the remarks by presenting herself as part of what she called a new generation of leadership.
“It is time for a new generation of leadership in America. And I am ready to offer that leadership as the next President of the United States.”
Her comments referenced statements Trump made during the 2024 campaign, when he raised the idea of deploying the military or National Guard against what he described as “the enemy within,” a label he applied to political opponents and other groups he claimed could contribute to unrest or election-related disruptions.
The clip’s renewed traction online arrives amid continued public debate over the scope of federal force deployments inside the United States. Critics argue that expanded domestic deployments—particularly in Democratic-led jurisdictions and in contexts tied to unrest, crime, immigration enforcement, or homelessness—risk blurring the lines between military power and civilian law enforcement. Supporters contend the measures are necessary for public safety. The arguments frequently center on legal limits designed to restrict military involvement in domestic policing, including the Posse Comitatus Act.
