MSNBC host Alicia Menendez and Atlantic writer Tom Nichols on Friday suggested that President Donald Trump could use the United States military as a “private army” to target Americans, during a segment discussing the Pentagon’s latest deployment to the Caribbean and South America.
The Pentagon this week approved the movement of the Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group to the U.S. Southern Command.
The deployment is intended to increase pressure on Venezuela and strengthen operations against transnational cartel activity across South America.
However, on MSNBC’s Deadline: White House, Menendez and Nichols portrayed the mission as an alleged abuse of power and potential violation of international law.
“Even the fact that there are officers who are having that conversation tells you about the five-alarm fire that we are in, because the Trump administration claims they can lawfully kill people simply because they are suspected of drug trafficking like enemy troops, instead of arresting them for prosecution. Does that match your understanding of the law?” Menendez asked Nichols.
“No, not American law and not international treaties to which we are a signatory,” Nichols responded.
“The American president has said, ‘I can point the US military any place I want and kill anyone I want.’ That eventually is going to become a principle in the domestic use of the military.”
Nichols continued by suggesting that President Trump’s actions were part of a broader attempt to “acclimate” the public to the idea that the military could be used for personal or political objectives.
“He is acclimating people to the notion that the military is his private army unconstrained by law, unconstrained by norms, unconstrained by American traditions. I don’t really think this has anything to do with drugs,” Nichols said.
“Sometimes I wonder how far he’s going to go to stop the release of the Epstein files and how many distractions he’s going to throw at us.”
“This is about getting out from under his already dismal record, his record low approval ratings, his struggling with a scandal, and he is now saying, ‘I am going to acclimate the American public to the use of military force anywhere I deem it appropriate under any circumstances,’” Nichols added.
“The president may be thinking, ‘I may well have us in a war by the time the elections roll around, which will enable me to say any opposition to me and my party is basically treason and unpatriotic.’”
Menendez concluded the segment by agreeing with Nichols’ characterization.
“Tom Nichols, your brain and my brain have gone to the exact same place,” she said.
JUST IN: MSNBC says President Trump will start using the military to kill any person he wants in any location inside the United States.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) October 24, 2025
"He is acclimating people to the notion that the military is his private army. Unconstrained by law, unconstrained by norms, unconstrained by… pic.twitter.com/Hvu587aMxs
While MSNBC panelists framed the Pentagon’s move as politically motivated, polling indicates that most Americans view President Trump as keeping his promises.
According to CNN’s Harry Enten, 52% of voters said as of October 7 that Trump is delivering on his 2024 campaign pledges.
The military deployment follows a series of steps by the administration aimed at combating international narcotics networks and hostile regimes in the region.
In August, President Trump ordered additional naval forces to the southern Caribbean after designating several Latin American cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations.
U.S. Air Force bombers have since conducted flight patrols near Venezuelan airspace as part of a larger deterrence campaign.
Drug traffickers operating in the Caribbean and South America have increasingly shifted to commercial shipping lanes, low-flying aircraft, and smaller maritime vessels to evade U.S. detection.
Administration officials have said that the expanded naval presence is necessary to disrupt those networks and prevent them from funneling narcotics and weapons into the United States.
The administration has also increased diplomatic and financial pressure on Venezuela and its regional allies.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Treasury Department announced sanctions against Colombian President Gustavo Petro, days after he publicly called for President Trump’s removal from office.
As operations intensify under U.S. Southern Command, analysts note that the effort represents the largest anti-cartel military deployment in the region in more than a decade.
Despite criticism from commentators, the Pentagon has maintained that the mission’s objective remains narrowly focused on countering organized crime and ensuring regional stability.
