New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman warned that former President Trump’s campaign rhetoric has become “increasingly apocalyptic” in recent months, predicting he is likely to lash out against political opponents, including President Biden, if reelected.
Trump has leaned further into authoritarian language in recent months, specifically promising political revenge against political opponents — sparking comparisons to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.
“[Trump] has been speaking — as have a lot of his supporters and a lot of folks on the right — in increasingly apocalyptic terms, describing essentially the country is on fire, describing everything as in tumult, describing everything as terrible, describing everything as the ultimate fight to take the country back, quote-unquote.” Haberman said Tuesday in an interview on CNN, where she is also an analyst.
“What he’s been saying all year is, some version of, ‘I am your retribution,’” she added.
In speeches in recent months, Trump has described “far-left thugs” as “vermin” and said migrants are “poisoning the blood of our country.”
The former president has also promoted himself as a “dictator” in social media posts, leaning into the authoritarian comparisons.
Haberman warned that the incendiary rhetoric and promises of revenge are not bluffs.
“[Trump] has made very clear that he is going to use his time in office to go after President Biden and his family,” she said. “He is going to radically change the federal government. He is going to erode the post-Watergate norm, between the Justice Department and the White House.”
“What he will do with that presidency is not necessarily what that means, in terms of final battle,” Haberman continued. “But there are — there is also a payback component, for him, personally.”
Trump has denied he was aware his immigration rhetoric echoed Hitler, and doubled down on the danger he claimed migrants cause the country. The White House went after the former president for the comments.
“Echoing the grotesque rhetoric of fascists and violent white supremacists and threatening to oppress those who disagree with the government are dangerous attacks on the dignity and rights of all Americans, on our democracy, and on public safety,” the White House said in a statement.