Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters gave rise to the idea that President Trump’s decision to send federal troops to quell violence in cities across the United States could be “a trial run” for what he’d do if he loses the 2020 election.
“As a matter of fact, it has been suggested that this is a trial run of the president of the United States, who may be organizing to not accept what happens when we have the election if he’s not elected,” Waters said Wednesday on MSNBC. “Is he going to pull out his military? Is he going to engage us?”
The California congresswoman did not name anyone, but the idea has been suggested by MSNBC’s John Heilemann.
“He has already alluded to there may be a civil war if he’s not reelected. This is dangerous. We are trying to find out more about it,” she added.
Waters’s comments came shortly after the president announced the “Operation Legend” program to send additional federal law enforcement officers to different cities, including Chicago and Kansas City, both of which have experienced recent surges in violent crimes. The program will involve federal agents from the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, and other agencies to partner with local agencies. Their presence and tactics, including the reported use of unmarked vehicles to detain people in Portland, Oregon, are already a source of controversy, and some people have called for investigations.
Some Democrats, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, have speculated that Trump will not accept the results of the election if he loses. The Trump campaign called such talk “just another brainless conspiracy theory,” but the president himself declined to commit to accepting the election results during an interview on Fox News Sunday.
