Trump’s rhetoric more ‘dangerous’ now than 2016

A former adviser to Donald Trump says the Republican presidential candidate’s rhetoric is “way more violent” now than it was in 2016.

Anthony Scaramucci was asked by US woman Jennifer Woltman, who has lived in Australia for nearly 18 years, whether Mr Trump’s message and rhetoric had changed since he was elected president in 2016 on ABC’s Q+A.

“I think Mr Trump’s rhetoric has moved to quantums since 2016, it’s way more aggressive,” Mr Scaramucci told the program.

“It’s way more violent. He talked yesterday about shooting journalists. He’s talked about having nine rifles pointed at the head of Liz Cheney.

“He has said that he would use the American military against his political adversaries – I guess that would include me.”

Mr Scaramucci also said American journalists weren’t properly covering Mr Trump’s message.

“I think he has immunised them, and he has sort of normalised the rhetoric,” he said.

“There’s very little outrage about it, but I think it’s very dangerous.

“He’s got two things that he’s now saying. He went he went back to Project 2025 last night in his rally, saying that he can’t wait to implement these things, and a lot of these things are the early stage blueprint for fascism.

“I don’t like the rhetoric, but it’s very hard to understand how we’re all numb from the rhetoric, because it’s way worse now than it was in 2016.”

However, journalist Amelia Lester said journalists weren’t able to “summon up outrage from the public single-handedly”.

“(Journalists) have been covering what Trump’s been saying, but the problem is that Trump has a singular ability to say shocking things and no one cares,” Ms Lester said.

“I think his profile is taking a real hit in the polls. I think saying that guns should be could be pointed at Liz Cheney … I think that’s a cut through atrocity that in these late last days of the campaign are changing opinions.

“I think it’s beginning to stick. He’s gotten away not with murder, but a lot of stuff that’s close and I do think that this is a reckoning.”

Mr Scaramucci added Mr Trump is “running on cruelty … anti-immigration … racism … misogyny”.

“If you don’t believe me, just listen to the speeches and listen to what he’s saying,” he said.

“He runs on those four pillars, and unfortunately we have a lot of people in the country that fall into those categories. And so it’s a shame to watch.”

Former Australian ambassador to the US Dennis Richardson said apportioning Mr Trump’s popularity among young men to misogyny was “far too simple”, suggesting that “progressives have played their part of pushing young men in that direction”.

In response, Mr Scaramucci said white males aged 18 to 25 are more likely to commit suicide than any other group.

“And to Dennis’ point, if you go to New York University, there are 75 different advocacy groups for various people in various sexual orientations, various designations of identity, but none for white males,” he said.

“So they’re going to trump, because Trump is sort of an avatar for their anger for not being recognised, so that is definitely true.

“It’s definitely out there. It has to be addressed.”