Trump Suggests That Supporters May Get ‘Tough’ Against Democrats
President Donald Trump appeared to insinuate in a recent interview that his supporters the police, military and “Bikers for Trump,” he claims could turn violent against Democrats.
“You know, the left plays a tougher game, it’s very funny. I actually think that the people on the right are tougher, but they don’t play it tougher. OK?” Trump said in an interview with Breitbart News published Wednesday.
“I can tell you I have the support of the police, the support of the military, the support of the Bikers for Trump I have the tough people, but they don’t play it tough until they go to a certain point, and then it would be very bad, very bad.”
He added that “the left plays it cuter and tougher. Like with all the nonsense that they do in Congress.”
Several Democrats interpreted the comments as a threat.
“I interpret that kind of comment as a danger to peaceful transition of power in our democracy,” Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut told CNN’s “New Day” on Friday.
In a CNN op-ed, former White House press secretary for President Bill Clinton Joe Lockhart called Trump’s remark a “thuggish threat of violence against his critics” and a continuation of Trump’s “all-out assault on the basis of our democracy.”
