Republican vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance insisted Donald TrumpThreats to send the army after the ‘enemy within’ were not targeted Democrats instead “far-left people who commit acts of violence,” glossing over the GOP presidential candidate’s own words on the subject.

“Donald Trump never said Americans write big. “You keep putting words in his mouth,” Vance said in an interview published Sunday. CNN“State of the Union” with host Jake Tapper.

“He has publicly stated that he wants to use the military to go after the enemy within, which is the American people,” Tapper replied.

Trump made no effort to qualify his “enemy within” comments. At the beginning of this month he said Fox NewsWhen asked whether the American people should worry about potential violence from “outsider agitators” on Election Day, Maria Bartiromo said “the biggest problem is the enemy from within.”

“We have some very bad people, some sick people, some radical left lunatics,” Trump told Bartiromo. “And it should be handled very easily by the National Guard if necessary, or by the military if really necessary.”

In a separate interviewTrump doubled down and included top California Democrats like former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Adam Schiff in the caucus.

“These are bad people. We have a lot of bad people,” Trump said on Fox News’ “Media Buzz.” “But when you look at ‘Shifty Schiff’ and some of the others, yes, they are an enemy from within to me. Nancy Pelosi is an enemy from within.” I think he’s an enemy.”

But Vance continued to downplay Trump’s comments in an interview with CNN, arguing that the former president’s threat to go after the “enemy” at home did not necessarily mean the military was involved.

“He didn’t say anything like that, Jake. He said he was going to send the military after the American people? Show me the quote where he says that,” Vance said.

Tapper then read him an excerpt from Friday’s Trump interview. with podcaster Joe RoganHe also stated that the US’s “enemy within” poses a greater threat to the country than North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.

“It drives them crazy when I use that term,” Trump told Rogan. “But we have an enemy from within. There are some really bad people out there who I think really want to fail this country.

Watch Vance’s conversation with Tapper below: