The “Enemy from Within” Is MAGA, Not Immigrants

During the final stretch of the 2024 election, Donald Trump has resorted to unleashing his most successful con to sway American voters: racism. 

The hoods are off and Trump has fully embraced both fascism and Nazi rhetoric in a desperate attempt to gain power and avoid accountability for his numerous crimes, which include inciting a violent insurrection to overthrow our free and fair election. 

After spreading the baseless neo-Nazi conspiracy of Haitian immigrants eating dogs and pets, the town of Springfield, Ohio has been besieged with terror threats resulting in the shutting down of schools. Even after Trump and Vance were told this was a nonsense story, they persisted in mainstreaming it to fuel white rage and “economic anxiety.” It worked for him before in 2016, so why not go back to the classics?

When Trump descended the staircase to announce his presidential campaign, he revealed his true, racist colors and nativist ambitions. He talked about Mexican “rapists” and criminals, which in hindsight was a projection considering he’s been held liable for sexual assault against E Jean Carroll and is now the first convicted criminal to run for President. He gained momentum during the 2016 primary by promising a Muslim Ban. In 2018, despite sitting on a strong economy, his sole message to his base, which was then dutifully parrotted by the GOP cult, was that America was facing an imminent “invasion” at the Southern border. As a result of this rhetoric, white supremacists like terrorist Robert Bowers felt compelled to parrot the same language and conspiracies as justification for killing eleven Americans at the Tree of Life Synagogue.

Fast forward to 2024: the rapist is yet again accusing immigrants with “bad genes” of “raping” and pillaging suburban communities. This is straight-up Nazi shit, but that isn’t surprising considering Trump has already quoted Hitler’s language of immigrants “poisoning the blood” of our country and promising to bring about a “unified Reich.” Some Trump supporters flew swastikas alongside Trump flags at a MAGA boat parade in Delray Beach, Florida over the weekend. They understand that Trump is speaking to them, and they respond accordingly.

At a rally in Aurora, Colorado, Trump outlined “Operation Aurora,” the latest chapter in the MAGA fascist playbook. “I will rescue Aurora and every town that has been invaded and conquered. We will put these vicious and bloodthirsty criminals in jail or kick them out of our country,” he promised his cult who need the rest of us to suffer to temporarily feel great again.  One would hope he’s talking about criminal white nationalist militias or MAGA insurrectionists, but nope, he was simply demonizing immigrants again. 

He also said he’d invoke the Alien and Sedition Act for legal authority that would allow him wide powers to detain and remove foreign nationals. This was used to intern innocent American citizens of Japanese descent during WW2. He has also promised the creation of camps and the deportation of 15 million undocumented immigrants. “We will send elite squads of ICE, border patrol, and federal law enforcement officers to hunt down, arrest, and deport every last illegal alien gang member until there is not a single one left,” he has promised his base that becomes more rabid, enamored, and loyal as he goes full Nazi. 

There’s a reason why retired General Milley referred to Trump as a “total fascist.” Over the weekend, Trump said his authoritarian agenda wasn’t just limited to immigrants but also U.S. citizens whom he referred to as “the enemy from within.” He said he would unleash the National Guard or U.S. military on American soil against “radical left lunatics,” which could mean anyone from poll workers to law enforcement to Mike Pence and anyone else who dares criticize Trump and stands up to his fascist agenda.  As Trump falsely paints immigrants as criminals and terrorists, his base of armed militias is attacking FEMA agents in North Carolina as a direct result of right-wing disinformation during a life-threatening hurricane. White supremacy’s power to be self-destructive remains undefeated. 

However, before they annihilate themselves, this MAGA cult beholden to Trump’s stochastic terrorism will threaten, punish, harm, and kill millions of innocent people simply trying their best to live their lives. Their first victims will be undocumented immigrants, who, unlike Donald Trump, actually pay their taxes, commit fewer crimes than Donald Trump (and native-born Americans), and are an economic boon to this country and their local communities whereas Donald Trump is a fraudster who owes New York more than $400 million due to fraud.

It’s all projection all the time with Donald and MAGA, but it’s been time to call it out for the fascist threat that this right-wing authoritarian cult represents to our democracy and our most vulnerable communities. 

There is an enemy within, and its name is MAGA.