Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., told CNN on Monday that he disagrees with former President Donald Trump’s suggestion to deploy the U.S. military inside the country to secure the election.
The comments from Donalds, a loyal and vocal Trump ally, represented a break from the Republican nominee, who told Fox News on Sunday that the military should be called “if really necessary” to deal with “radical-left lunatics” and “the enemy from within.” Donalds said while deploying the National Guard “could be appropriate,” he “obviously” doesn’t want the U.S. military deployed domestically.
“That’s been long-standing law in our country since the founding of the republic,” Donalds told CNN’s Kasie Hunt.
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The Harris-Walz campaign was quick to respond to Trump’s appearance on Fox News. A spokesperson for the Democratic ticket said in a statement that his comments “should alarm every American who cares about their freedom and security.”
The Florida congressman agrees with Trump that he will not accept the former president’s loss in 2020 despite the absence of widespread fraud in the last presidential election. He believes the Republican nominee will accept the results this year “as long as every state follows the procedures passed by state legislatures.”
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