In a recent interview on CNN’s The Source with Kaitlan Collins, New York Times correspondent and CNN analyst Maggie Haberman expressed her observation that former President Donald Trump’s rhetoric has taken on an “increasingly apocalyptic” tone. Haberman highlighted that Trump is explicitly signaling his intention to target President Joe Biden and his family if he were to win a potential second term.
Trump’s speeches have been characterized by dark and ominous language, drawing comparisons to historical figures like Adolf Hitler. He paints 2024 as a decisive battle, rallying supporters with promises to dismantle the “deep state,” remove perceived enemies from the government, and purge ideologies he opposes. Haberman emphasized that Trump’s language reflects a narrative of the country being in crisis and in need of a dramatic transformation.
During the interview, CNN’s Brianna Keilar played a montage of Trump’s speeches, prompting Haberman to delve into the underlying messages. Haberman explained that Trump, along with many of his supporters, has been framing the current state of the country in dire terms, describing it as a battleground for the soul of the nation. She noted that Trump has consistently positioned himself as the agent of retribution and change.
Haberman highlighted Trump’s explicit plans to target President Biden and his family, reshape the federal government radically, and challenge established norms, such as the post-Watergate relationship between the Justice Department and the White House. She also mentioned Trump’s radical immigration plan as part of his broader vision for the country.
While acknowledging the concerns of some people about specific policy issues like the border and inflation, Haberman emphasized that Trump’s rhetoric goes beyond policy discussions. There is a personal element of payback in Trump’s vision for the presidency, according to Haberman, suggesting a desire to settle scores and reshape the political landscape based on his terms.
2024 is our final battle! With you at my side, we will demolish the deep State. We will expel the warmongers from our government. We will drive out the globalists. We will cast out the Communists, Marxists, fascists. We will throw off the sick political class that hates our country.
We will rout the fake news media. We will evict Joe Biden. Crooked as you can be. Joe Biden, the worst president in the history of our country. We will evict him from the White House and we will finish the job once and for all! We will make America great again!
KEILAR: What is he telegraphing, Maggie, when he is talking about this, in these terms? What is he telegraphing here? His, would a second term–
HABERMAN: Look, he–
KEILAR: –a potential second term would be?
HABERMAN: Sure. I mean, I think this is the underlying question, with what he’s been doing, for a couple of years now.
He 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. You are going to hear that a lot.
Now, what he has said previously, in addition to that language, and he’s been saying it all year is, some version of, “I am your retribution.”
He has made very clear that he is going to use his time, in office, to go after President Biden, and his family. 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. I mean, among other things, he has a very radical plan for immigration. All of this fits into his description of the country, in turmoil.
I think, to Dave Urban’s point, there are a lot of people, who are looking at specific policy aspects. They look at the border, right now. They look at inflation. And they are very upset. And they are hearing him casted, in these terms, as some kind of incredibly grim match. I think you’re going to hear him continue to say that.
What he will do with that presidency is not necessarily what that means, in terms of final battle. I think his view, of what he wants to do, with the White House, yes, there are policy pieces. But there are — there is also a payback component, for him, personally.
KEILAR: Yes. He makes it very clear.
