Scott Jennings Insists Trump Didn’t Suggest Deploying the Military Against U.S. Citizens: ‘Totally False’
CNN’s Scott Jennings claimed on Tuesday that President-elect Donald Trump did not float the idea of using the military against U.S. citizens, which is indeed a thing Trump did.
“The military can absolutely be used to work with local officials to provide military resources, but working with other parts of the federal government and local officials,” Jennings said on CNN NewsNight, referring to the possibility of Trump using the military to enforce immigration laws. “We already sent the National Guard to the border.”
After some further discussion about immigration, Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Solomon Jones referenced Trump’s suggestion that he’d use the military on citizens. Host Abby Phillip and YouTuber Leigh McGowan also jumped in:
JONES: The military’s not supposed to take up arms against American citizens
JENNINGS: They’re not– you all keep saying that. This is about illegal immigration. You all keep saying American citizens.
[CROSSTALK]
JENNINGS: We have 1.6 million people in this country who already received deportation orders from courts. They are here illegally.
JONES: It’s always back to illegal immigration with people who support Donald Trump. It’s always back to illegal immigration, but that’s not–
JENNINGS: People are pissed about it.
JONES: That’s not the only thing that we’re talking about here. We’re talking about the American people. We’re talking about taking up arms against them–
JENNINGS: No.
JONES: –with a military that’s supposed to be protecting them.
JENNINGS: This is not right. You say Donald Trump is sending the military to round up–
MCGOWAN: That is what he has said.
JONES: That’s what he said. That’s not what I’m saying.
MCGOWAN: That’s what he is saying, Scott.
JENNINGS: Totally false.
JONES: He said that.
JENNINGS: Totally false.
PHILLIP: Scott, Scott, Trump has–
JENNINGS: We are in the fever swamps, Abby. I am sorry.
PHILLIP: What is your dispute here? I’m not even really understanding.
JENNINGS: Because they’re saying that he’s sending the military to shoot or and/or round up American citizens. Not true!
MCGOWAN: We did not say shoot people, Scott.
JENNINGS: You just said take up arms.
JONES: I did say take up arms because when you send the army in, that’s what they’re there for.
During a rally in October, Trump floated the idea of deploying the military to quell dissent.
“We have the greatest military in the world, but you have to know how to use them,” he told the crowd in Colorado. “It’s the enemy from within. All the scum that we have to deal with that hate our country. That’s a bigger enemy than China and Russia!”
Trump doubled down on his comments the following Sunday in an interview with Fox News.
“I think the bigger problem is the enemy from within, not even the people that have come in — and destroying our country and, by the way, totally destroying our country. The towns and villages, they’re being inundated,” Trump said. “But I don’t think they have the problem in terms of Election Day. I think the bigger problem are the people from within. We have some very bad people. We have some sick people, radical left lunatics. And I think. And it should be very easily handled by, if necessary, by National Guard or if really necessary by the military, because they can’t let that happen.”
Watch above via CNN.
