On Tuesday, President Donald Trump told U.S. military leaders to prepare to engage in domestic missions, saying the military would likely be targeting the “enemy from within” — a phrase Trump has used in the past to refer to progressives and left-leaning groups.
The nation’s top military heads gathered at Marine Corps Base Quantico, about 30 miles south of Washington D.C. They had been summoned there by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last week, with no apparent objective or details regarding why they were gathering. Shortly after that announcement, Trump said he would be delivering a speech during the event.
Hegseth used his part of the speech to deride women in the military and promise an end to what he called “woke garbage.” He also targeted overweight servicemembers, including the commanders gathered in front of him on Tuesday.
“It’s completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon leading commands around the country and the world,” Hegseth said.
When Trump came to the stage, he spoke for over an hour. At one point, he indicated a desire to use the military to “quell civil disturbances” within the United States.
“This is gonna be a big thing for the people in this room, because it’s the enemy from within and we have to handle it before it gets out of control,” Trump elaborated.
Trump to military leaders: "Last month, I signed an executive order to provide training for a quick reaction force that can help quell civil disturbances. This is gonna be a big thing for the people in this room, because it's the enemy from within and we have to handle it before… pic.twitter.com/9uDwszxWuN
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 30, 2025
Trump sought to assure the generals and admirals gathered in front of him that their “mission” would be successful.
“It won’t get out of control once you’re involved at all,” Trump said.
Notably, Trump’s aims may be illegal — per the Posse Comitatus Act, the U.S. military is not allowed to conduct law enforcement actions. Indeed, a federal judge ruled earlier this month that Trump’s use of the National Guard violated that law.
That ruling is being appealed, however, and there’s no telling how the conservative Supreme Court — which includes three appointees picked by Trump himself — will rule on the matter if it reaches the Court in the future. The law also has little in terms of an enforcement mechanism — short of military leaders themselves refusing to abide by an order to quell domestic protests, only the courts can take action, which can take weeks or even months.
Trump has a history of calling for the military to be used against U.S. citizens who oppose him. In October 2024, for example, he said the National Guard should “handle” left-leaning people going to the polls on Election Day, claiming, without evidence, that “radical left lunatics” would disrupt the outcome of the presidential race.
In those comments, Trump similarly described leftists as “the enemy from within.”
Critics were quick to condemn Trump’s comments to military leaders.
“The commander in chief wants his personal security squad to shoot protesters, while also letting them know he struggles to walk down stairs,” journalist Mike Rothschild said. “The Berlin 1945 vibes are sky high.”
“Trump is explicitly threatening to use the military to occupy Blue America,” The Atlantic staff writer Greg Sargent opined.
“Anyone who talks about their fellow Americans as enemies to be ‘taken out’ is not fit to lead the nation,” wrote Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D), whose state Trump frequently targets with threats of militarization. “Take the keys away from Donald Trump before he drives us further into chaos.”
“Another day, another threat by the President of the United States to use military force against ordinary Americans,” said political scientist Marcel Dirsus. “If it happens, nobody can say they didn’t know. Trump wants to be a dictator and he’s not even trying to hide it.”
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