Glenn Youngkin, the Republican governor from Virginia, got backed against a media corner as he tried to defend Donald Trump's comments about the need to use the military on "radical left lunatics" and the "enemy within."
Speaking to CNN's Jake Tapper, Youngkin said he believed Trump was talking about resorting to the military to deal with unlawful immigration. "It's my belief that what former President Trump is talking about are the people that are coming over the border, that in fact are committing crimes, that are bringing drugs, that are trafficking humans, and that are turning every state into a border state," he said.
However, Trump pressed on, mentioning two different instances in which Trump made different comments. Speaking to Maria Bartiromo on Sunday, Trump said "I think the bigger problem are the people from within, we have some very bad people, we have some sick people -- radical left lunatics."
GLENN YOUNGKIN: I do think that you are misinterpreting and misrepresenting Trump's thoughts
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 14, 2024
JAKE TAPPER: I'm literally reading his quote. I'm literally reading his quotes to you. pic.twitter.com/kTHyOeV3Nq
"I think 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," Trump added. Tapper also referenced a rally last Friday when the former president used similar terms, then saying one of the "lunatics" was Democratic California Rep. Adam Schiff.
"That's who he was talking about using the National Guard and the military against: 'Radical left lunatics,' 'enemy from within,' people like Adam Schiff," Tapper said. Youngkin tried to push back, saying he was "misinterpreting and misrepresenting his thoughts," but Tapper interrupted him saying he had just read Trump's actual words.
"I'm literally reading his quotes," Tapper said. "And I played them earlier so you could hear that they were not made up by me. He's literally talking about 'radical left lunatics,' and then one of those 'lunatics' he mentioned was congressman Adam Schiff."
Youngkin stood firm, saying once again he did not believe Trump meant that, to which an exasperated Tapper threw up his hands in the air: "You can wish that he weren't saying that, but that's what he's saying." The exchange ended with the governor dismissing the quotes as "little snippets of content."
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