On the campaign trail for the 2024 Presidential Election former President Donald Trump has used the term “enemies within”. His opponent, Kamala Harris, has tried to spin his statement makes him unhinged and paranoid and calls all of her supporters “enemies within”. The fact of the matter is Donald Trump has been and is correct far more often that Kamala Harris has been or will ever be on any issue and that includes his “enemies within” recent comment.
One of the first rules of war is to “divide and conquer”. This is where the age old adage comes from, “United we stand, divided we fall.” The origin of this saying is unclear but many believe it may have been inspired by the Bible in Mark 3:25 as “And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand”. The 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica quoted Robert Grosseteste (1253) saying “It is written that united we stand and divided we fall.”
Abraham Lincoln gave a speech centered on the “House divided” analogy to illustrate the need for a universal decision on slavery in the union during his unsuccessful presidential campaign against Stephen Douglas in 1858. Since 1942, this phrase has been the official English state motto of the State of Kentucky. Also, on the State of Missouri flag which dates back to 1913, the phrase is written around the center circle.
So the origin of President Trump’s comments about “enemies within” are well founded in history. When people within our country try to divide us, that is a sign they are not for us, they do not love this country, and they are against us.
While there are many ways people can try to covertly divide us, one we have all seen in recent days of this campaign is divisive rhetoric which often times contains outright lies and shaming. Let’s take a look at a few recent examples from a variety of sources.
President Joe Biden
In reference to a joke a comedian did referencing Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage” at the Trump Madison Square Garden rally in New York Sunday, Joe Biden responded.
“The only garbage I see floating out there is his (Trump’s) supporters.”
Mark Cuban
Many of us Americans had no knowledge of billionaire Mark Cuban until we started watching the television show “Shark Tank”. After this recent comment by Cuban, it will be interesting to see how many people stop watching that show this season.
“You never see Donald Trump around strong, intelligent women, ever.”
The late Martin Luther King Jr.’s niece Alveda C. King offered one of the best responses:
“Cuban’s words are mean, sad, and misogynistic, and the left can’t even define what a woman is.”
Robert De Niro
“They’re not real Republicans.”
Kamala Harris
“MAGA extremists want to take away women’s health care decisions, control what books your kids can read in schools, and tell you who you can love.”
Jennifer Lopez
“He (Trump) has consistently worked to divide us.”
A poster to ex put a community note of their own on this post, “Jennifer Lopez and P. Diddy Combs dated from 1999 to 2001. She is on the list.”
Barack Obama
The former president recently spoke at a field office in Pittsburgh seemingly shaming black men for not getting behind the Harris-Walz ticket for 2024.
“Part of it makes me think, and I am speaking to men directly, that, well, you just aren’t feeling the idea of having a woman as president, and you’re coming up with other alternatives and other reasons for that.”
“Black Men Slam Barack Obama for “Lecturing” Them on Voting For Kamala Harris | Firstpost America”
Michelle Obama
“If you are a woman who lives in a household of men that don’t listen to you or value your opinion, just remember that your vote is a private matter,” Obama said. “You get to use your judgment and cast your vote for yourself and the women in your life. Remember, women standing up for what is best for us can make the difference in this election.”
Many Americans still want to know of this is a “Michelle” or a “Mike” talking.
Julia Roberts
“In the one place in America where women still have a right to choose, you can vote any way you want. And no one will ever know.”
“Julia Roberts under fire for ad inviting women to vote differently from husbands” – The Washington Examiner
Howard Stern
“I don’t agree with Trump politically, I don’t think he should be anywhere near the White House. I don’t hate the guy. I hate the people who vote for him. I think they’re stupid. I do. I’ll be honest with you, I have no respect for you.”
Right back at ya.
Tim Walz
“Donald Trump has descended into madness over the last few weeks and I think some of you don’t miss on this. Go do your Google on this. Donald Trump’s got this big, uh, rally going at Madison Square Garden. There’s a direct parallel to a big rally that happened in the mid-1930s at Madison Square Garden and don’t think that he doesn’t know for one second exactly what they’re doing there.”
“‘Grasping at straws’: TV host slams Tim Walz over Trump-Nazi remarks” – Sky News Australia
CONCLUSION:
Vilifying Trump’s supporters has been a campaign strategy of the Democrats to the point of trying to make the Trump motto “MAGA” a terrible thing. Let’s face facts though, it has aged far better than “Build Back Better”!
Some may claim former President Donald Trump started this with his behavior and “Mean Tweets” of bygone days. Some will say he and his supporters deserve it. Some will bring up his Rosie O’Donnell comment in his debate with Hillary Clinton in 2016.
“Donald Trump and Megyn Kelly go back and forth at the Fox News GOP debate” – Fox News Insider
What they don’t explain is how Trump had a very good reason to go off on Rosie O’Donnell. The feud between O’Donnell and Trump dates back to 2006 and she started it.
The reigning Miss USA, Tara Conner, was accused of drug-use. Co-owner of the pageant, Donald Trump, called a press conference to discuss his decision not to take her crown as he believes in second chances.
O’Donnell, as a co-host on ABC’s “The View” at the time, slammed Trump bringing up his past bankruptcy allegations, his multiple marriages, and called him “a snake-oil salesman”.
When Trump is attacked, he attacks back, and harder. Trump threatened to sue “fat little Rosie” and she suddenly went radio silent.
Another fact is while Trump has been very aggressive with his attacks on Biden, Harris, and Walz, he has never attacked their voters. As Tim Walz would say, “Google it.”
Copyright © 2024 by Mark S. Schwendau
