Former President Donald Trump is drawing sharp criticism after proposing that law enforcement be allowed "one really violent day" to crack down on crime. Speaking at a rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, Trump suggested that drastic action was needed to restore order in cities, particularly to address shoplifting.
"What the hell is going on? We have to let the police do their job. And if they have to be extraordinarily rough... one real rough, nasty day with the drug stores," Trump said to applause.
Trump's comments have sparked comparisons to the dystopian film The Purge, where all crimes are legal for one day each year. Critics on social media quickly reacted, with prominent figures likening his suggestion to both The Purge and Kristallnacht, the 1938 Nazi pogrom against Jewish people. "If you had one really violent day... the word will get out and it will end immediately," Trump added.
Critics are slamming the proposal as dangerous, while supporters advocate for tougher crime measures ahead of the 2024 election.
Social media users voiced their concerns using comedy and memes such as the ones below:
The Purge pic.twitter.com/l4JW8SVuVG
— VOICE OF REALITY (@Voice_OfReality) September 30, 2024
Donald Trump is advocating the purge for criminals pic.twitter.com/0pNZyrfoz1
— AdviceFromLouis (@AdviceFromLouis) September 30, 2024
Trump critic Jim Stewartson went into his X account to say "I've seen this described as "The Purge" which is wrong. That was a movie where the population was set against itself. This is the description of state-sponsored wide-spread violence. It actually happened," he wrote, citing the "Night of Broken Glass," or Kristallnacht, which involved the Nazi-orchestrated destruction of Jewish homes, businesses and synagogues. 100 Jews were killed during that particular pogrom, with thousands more sent to concentration camps.
In PA today, Donald Trump gave one of the most dangerous speeches of the 21st century by describing his strategy for reducing crime as Kristallnacht, “one extraordinarily rough, one really rough nasty day. One rough hour. You know it’ll end immediately.”https://t.co/tR06J07hQ5… pic.twitter.com/Y0lYApPVDC
— Jim Stewartson, Counterinsurgent 🇺🇸🇺🇦💙🎈 (@jimstewartson) September 29, 2024
Trump, however, framed his remarks around the frustration that law enforcement is allegedly unable to act due to policies that protect criminals.
He cited a false claim that shoplifting under $950 in California is effectively legal, blaming Vice President Kamala Harris for the rise in crime from her time as San Francisco's district attorney. "They're standing with calculators... they didn't want to go over the $950," Trump claimed, despite the law being passed through a voter referendum, not by Harris, according to Newsweek.
The backlash continued as "The Purge" trended on X for hours following the rally. Some Trump supporters dismissed the comparisons to Kristallnacht, but others expressed agreement with his call for stricter measures on crime. Pollster Frank Luntz, speaking to CNN, noted that while undecided voters may agree with Trump's tough stance on crime, they are often turned off by his inflammatory rhetoric. "They like the policies of one candidate and the persona of another," Luntz said, referring to the challenge facing undecided voters in the upcoming election.
Trump concluded his speech by reiterating the need for swift and harsh action. "One rough hour. And I mean real rough... and it will end immediately," he told the crowd, emphasizing his belief that such measures would quickly restore order.
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