McMaster: I don't think Trump would 'mobilize the military against Americans'

Former White House national security adviser H.R. McMaster on Friday said he doesn't think that former President Trump would "mobilize the military against Americans," which the Republican nominee had suggested.

"I don't think he would mobilize the military against Americans, but I do think that what he's doing is undermining our confidence in our institutions," McMaster said in an interview on "Firing Line with Margaret Hoover."

McMaster, however, also said during the interview that Americans should take Trump's second-term plans seriously.

Hoover pressed McMaster on why he thinks Trump wouldn't mobilize the military against people in the U.S., despite the former president suggesting he would. Trump suggested using the National Guard or the military on Election Day to fight what he described as potential chaos from “the enemy from within” — a group Trump said includes “radical left lunatics.”

“I think the bigger problem are the people from within,” Trump had said. “We have some very bad people. We have some sick people, radical left lunatics.”

“And I think it should be very easily handled by, if necessary, by National Guard or, if really necessary, by the military, because they can’t let that happen,” Trump added during the interview last month.

McMaster responded to Hoover, saying he has "confidence in the separation of powers."

"Because I think there are checks on presidential power. And I have confidence in the separation of powers," McMaster said.

He continued, saying that the powers were "stress tested" during the Capitol riots on Jan. 6, 2021, and on the transition of power after President Biden won the 2020 election but Trump falsely claimed it was stolen.

"We were stress tested before. There were other times we've been stress tested in our history and I think we have to have confidence in our institutions," McMaster said.

Hoover then questioned how institutions can be upheld if Trump wins The White House for a second term.

"The way that Americans account for it is by who they put into office. That's really the ultimate check on any candidate or, you know, power is the American voter," McMaster said, adding that Americans need to "demand better" of politicians.