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Donald Trump has outdone himself. 

His rhetoric has long been extreme but, in campaign remarks as it heads towards a close, it’s more so.

Consider the direct quotes from his “enemy within” interview on Fox News on 13 October.

Asked about “bureaucrats undermining you” in a second term, he replied: “We have two enemies: we have the outside enemy, and then we have the enemy from within.

“And the enemy from within, in my opinion, is more dangerous than China, Russia, and all these countries.”

Pic: Reuters
Image:
Pic: Reuters

Referring to Adam Schiff, a Democratic candidate for the Senate, he says: “Adam ‘Shifty’ Schiff, who’s a total sleazebag, is going to become a senator. But I call him the enemy from within.”

Asked whether he expects chaos on election day from outside agitators, he replied: “I think the bigger problem are the people from within.

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“We have some very bad people, we have some sick people, radical left lunatics.

“It should be very easily handled by, if necessary, by National Guard or, if really necessary by the military.”

Critics have interpreted the remarks as a threat to use the military against political opponents, even though he would need to be president to try.

They accuse Trump of shaping an authoritarian agenda – true, they say, because it’s laid out in his own words.

Pic: Reuters
Image:
Pic: Reuters

Donald Trump, after all, is a man who has used dehumanising language in discussing particular groups, has undermined institutions that keep a check on power, threatened the media and once told an interviewer he would not be a dictator “except on day one.”

If he does have the look and sound of an autocrat-in-waiting, it is not seen or heard by his supporters.

‘Far-left activists’

Of the “enemy within” remarks, Trump’s running mate JD Vance dismissed the notion he was talking of using the military against political rivals.

He said: “We have various far-left activists who are talking about civil unrest in this country if Donald Trump were to be elected president again.

“If you have people who are rioting in American streets, whether they’re Democrats or Republicans, whatever their political persuasion is, we’re not going to let that happen.

“We believe in law and order in this country. That’s what Donald Trump is talking about.”

It is a question of language and how it lands.

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What’s behind Trump’s popularity?

‘Fascist to the core’

In an explosive intervention into the discussion, Trump has been branded a “fascist” by his most senior military adviser in office.

General Mark Milley, retired, is quoted as calling Trump “fascist to the core” and “the most dangerous person to this country”.

It is authoritative commentary from a man who was in the room and it finds an echo.

Major-General Randy Manner, retired, sees parallels between Trump and Adolf Hitler, no less.

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Maj-Gen. Manner is a member of the National Security Leaders for America, a group of retired, senior members of the military.

They span the political divide but, as a collective body, have thrown their backing behind Kamala Harris.

Maj-Gen. Manner told Sky News: “It is 100% true, according to the definition, that Trump is a fascist.

“People who are powerful and authoritarian align, so the dangers to the world are significant, in terms of worsening the threshold for peaceful co-existence.

“Many of the attributes of what Trump has been doing here in the United States emulate the actions taken by Adolf Hitler between 1922 and 1933.

“There are so many similarities of style, of technique, of divide the people and have a small group of thugs do your dirty work for you, without any regard to the rule of law.

“There are very real similarities.”

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Kamala Harris clearly believes it presents an opportunity to unstick the polls.

Having bounced on to the campaign stage extolling joy and opportunity, she has pivoted back to democracy and the threat posed, she claims, by Donald Trump.

It will be for the voter to assess what Trump means and whether what he says should be taken seriously – and if not, why not?

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Donald Trump on day one: Pace of change ‘like nothing you’ve seen in history’, warns campaign official

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Donald Trump on day one: Pace of change 'like nothing you've seen in history', warns campaign official

Within hours of taking office, president-elect Donald Trump plans to begin rolling out policies including large-scale deportations, according to his transition team.

Sky News partner network NBC News has spoken with more than half a dozen people familiar with the executive orders that his team plans to enact.

One campaign official said changes are expected at a pace that is “like nothing you’ve seen in history”, to signal a dramatic break from President Joe Biden’s administration.

Mr Trump is preparing on day one to overturn specific policies put in place by Mr Biden. Among the measures, reported by sources close to the transition team, are:

• The speedy and large-scale deportations of illegal immigrants

• Ending travel reimbursement for military members seeking abortion care

• Restricting transgender service members’ access to gender-affirming care

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But much of the first day is likely to focus on stopping illegal immigration – the centrepiece of Trump’s candidacy. He is expected to sign up to five executive orders aimed at dealing with that issue alone after he is sworn in on 20 January.

“There will without question be a lot of movement quickly, likely day one, on the immigration front,” a top Trump ally said.

“There will be a push to make a huge early show and assert himself to show his campaign promises were not hollow.”

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Donald Trump ally Matt Gaetz has withdrawn his name from consideration to be the next US attorney general.

But Mr Trump’s campaign pledges also could be difficult to implement.

Deporting people on the scale he wants will be a logistical challenge that could take years. Questions also remain about promised tax cuts.

Meanwhile, his pledge to end the war between Russia and Ukraine in just 24 hours would be near impossible.

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Even so, advisers based at Mr Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort or at nearby offices in West Palm Beach, Florida, are reportedly strategising about ending the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.

Following his decisive victory on 5 November, the president-elect has moved swiftly to build a cabinet and senior White House team.

As of Thursday, he had selected more than 30 people for senior positions in his administration, compared with just three at a similar point in his 2016 transition.

Stephen Moore, a senior economic adviser in Mr Trump’s campaign, told NBC News: “The thing to realise is Trump is no dummy.

“He knows he’s got two to three years at most to get anything done. And then he becomes a lame duck and we start talking about [the presidential election in] 2028.”

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Trump pick Matt Gaetz withdraws from consideration to be US attorney general

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Trump pick Matt Gaetz withdraws from consideration to be US attorney general

Donald Trump ally Matt Gaetz has withdrawn his name from consideration to be the next US attorney general.

Mr Gaetz, a controversial pick to be the country’s top legal official, said his selection was “unfairly becoming a distraction” to the transition of Mr Trump’s administration into the White House.

The Florida Republican had faced significant scrutiny over a federal investigation into sex trafficking allegations involving a 17-year-old girl.

He said in a post on the X social media platform: “There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I’ll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as attorney general. Trump’s DOJ (Department of Justice) must be in place and ready on Day 1.

“I remain fully committed to seeing that Donald Trump is the most successful president in history. I will forever be honoured that President Trump nominated me to lead the Department of Justice and I’m certain he will Save America.”

Mr Trump said in a post on his own social media site, Truth Social, that Mr Gaetz had a “wonderful future”.

“I greatly appreciate the recent efforts of Matt Gaetz in seeking approval to be Attorney General,” he wrote.

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“He was doing very well but, at the same time, did not want to be a distraction for the administration, for which he has much respect.”

Mr Gaetz previously faced a nearly three-year Justice Department investigation into sex trafficking allegations involving a 17-year-old girl, which ended in February 2023 without him facing any criminal charges.

He has always denied the allegations.

He has also been under scrutiny by the House Ethics Committee over wider allegations including sexual misconduct, illicit drug use and accepting improper gifts.

The inquiry was dropped on Wednesday 13 November when Mr Gaetz left Congress – the only forum where the committee has jurisdiction.

The Senate ethics committee is deadlocked on whether their report can be released.

Mr Gaetz’s withdrawal is a blow to Mr Trump’s push to install steadfast loyalists in his incoming administration and the first sign that he could face resistance from members of his own party.

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Dad who called 911 for help during break-in killed by Las Vegas police officer

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Dad who called 911 for help during break-in killed by Las Vegas police officer

A 43-year-old man was shot dead by police after calling 911 to report intruders had entered his home in Las Vegas.

Brandon Durham was at home with his 15-year-old daughter when he called the emergency line to report armed intruders were trying to break into his property on 12 November.

Bodycam footage shows Mr Durham struggling with a person over a knife in the moments before he was shot and killed at the scene.

“The loss of life in any type of incident like this is always tragic, and it’s something we take very seriously,” Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Assistant Sheriff Dori Koren said on Thursday.

The force is investigating the incident.

Mr Durham called 911 to report multiple people were outside shooting at his residence in Las Vegas’ Sunset Park neighbourhood, where he had been staying with his 15-year-old daughter, Sky News’ US partner network NBC reports.

It was one of multiple emergency calls reporting a shooting in the area.

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Mr Durham then said someone had managed to get into his home through the front and back doors of the property and he was locking himself in the bathroom, according to a police statement from 14 November, two days after the incident.

Officers reported to the scene at approximately 12:40am and could hear screaming from inside the residence.

One of the officers, Alexander Bookman, kicked open the front door and once inside, saw Mr Durham and another individual, later identified as 31-year-old Alejandra Boudreaux, struggling over a knife in a doorway.

Mr Bookman ordered them to drop the knife and about two seconds later, the officer fired the gun and Mr Durham appeared to be struck, the bodycam footage shows.

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Both Mr Durham and Mr Boudreaux fell to the ground and the officer fired another five shots. Roughly three seconds are believed to have gone by between the first and last shot, NBC reports.

Attempts were made to save the 43-year-old but he died at the scene.

Ms Boudreaux was taken into custody and is facing charges of home invasion with a deadly weapon; assault with a deadly weapon domestic violence; willful or wanton disregard of safety of persons resulting in death; and child abuse, neglect or endangerment.

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