A resurfaced video from the 2024 presidential campaign is drawing renewed attention in early 2026, as former Vice President Kamala Harris warned about then-candidate Donald Trump’s statements regarding the use of the U.S. military against domestic opponents he described as “the enemy within.”
In the clip, delivered during a campaign rally, Harris directly addressed concerns over Trump’s rhetoric. She stated:
“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 emphasized that Trump had spent a decade promoting division and fear among Americans, contrasting this approach with core national values. She invoked the motto “E Pluribus Unum” (out of many, one), describing it as a “living truth” about the nation rather than just a phrase on currency.
“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.”
Harris argued that excessive division, chaos, and mutual distrust had consumed the country for too long, but affirmed that this situation was not inevitable. She called for an end to finger-pointing and a shift toward unity:
“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.”
She concluded by positioning herself as offering 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.”
This warning stemmed from Trump’s 2024 campaign comments, where he suggested deploying the military or National Guard to address “the enemy within,” referring to perceived radical left elements, political opponents, and those causing potential election-related issues or unrest.
The clip’s resurgence on social media comes amid ongoing developments in the second Trump administration. Since taking office, the administration has expanded domestic deployments of federal forces, including National Guard troops in several cities, initially tied to efforts addressing civil unrest, crime, illegal immigration, and homelessness. These actions, often in Democratic-led areas, have sparked debate over potential overreach and compliance with laws limiting military involvement in domestic law enforcement, such as the Posse Comitatus Act.
