At a rally on Sunday in Erie, Pennsylvania, Trump casually seemed to suggest that one day of violence would put an end to crime.
Trump declared that Representative Mike Kelly should be put in charge for “one really violent day.”
“One rough hour. And I mean real rough, the world will get it out and it will end immediately. End immediately. You know, it will end immediately,” he added without sharing any logistics.
The concept mirrors a fictional film series called “The Purge,” in which all crime is legal for 12 hours on a single day of the year. (At least one film in the franchise takes aim at the previous Trump administration, according to USA Today.)
His dangerous remark on Sunday came on the heels of his saying that crime is skyrocketing, a false claim that the far right uses to fearmonger. He also echoed the lie that the supposed rise in crime is the fault of migrants.
The twice-impeached former president has a documented pattern of using violent rhetoric and inciting violence — including ahead of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection that led to five deaths after Trump’s loss in the 2020 election.
Recently, he has warned that there would be a “bloodbath” if he loses the election.
Trump’s rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Sunday, came ahead of his scheduled October 5 return to Butler, Pennsylvania, the location of his first assassination attempt in July.