Comedian Kathy Griffin, while advertising her comedy tour “My Life on the PTSD-List” on WGN radio in Chicago, Illinois, suggested her fans should see her perform before the start of Donald Trump’s second term.
During the radio segment, Griffin humorously suggested, “Come see me before I’m in one of those internment camps.”
Griffin’s comments referenced her 2017 photo controversy where she held a Trump mask drenched in ketchup, an act that sparked a Department of Justice two-month investigation. She faced potential charges of conspiring to assassinate the president and was subsequently added to both the no-fly list and the International Criminal Police Organization list, causing travel complications.
“I’m on the enemies list. That’s very obvious. He was very, very scared when I did a parody photo of him and a Halloween mask and a lot of ketchup. And he brings up my name every chance he gets,” Griffin asserted.
She went on to mention her personal relationship with Trump, which extends over 30 years, back to her Bravo network days and his time on “The Apprentice” on NBC. Despite acknowledging his favorable treatment of her friend, the late Joan Rivers, Griffin stressed the importance of taking Trump’s declarations seriously.
“At the time, most of us just thought he was kind of a harmless buffoon, but when he says he’s going to build camps for his enemies list, he may not be kidding,” Griffin warned, adding that she has no plans to leave the country.
Griffin defended her loyalty to the U.S., citing performances for American troops in Uzbekistan, Iraq, and Afghanistan. “Don’t tell me I’m not a patriot, darn it,” she stated.
According to an interview with Time magazine, Donald Trump has not ruled out building detention facilities for undocumented immigrants in the U.S. during a potential second term.
The 1798 Alien Enemies Act authorizes the president to detain or remove non-citizens from countries at war with the U.S. While historically used during wartime, its broad language about “enemy aliens” could potentially allow expanded application to any foreign nationals perceived as threats.
Without specifying a target, the former president has indicated that he may use the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to expedite the removal of what he terms a savage gang, with the aim of dismantling all migrant criminal networks within the U.S.
The Alien Enemies Act of 1798 is most known for enabling President Franklin D. Roosevelt to detain Japanese, Italian, and German immigrants in internment camps during World War II, irrespective of their involvement in military activities in their home countries.
Although the Alien Enemies Act is meant for wartime situations and is meant to apply only to countries that pose military threats, Trump could potentially use this act to target individuals from any country he labels as “invading” the U.S., a term he has used for countries whose citizens have sought asylum in the U.S.
Media sources close to the discussions among Trump’s advisors indicate that he has developed a complex plan to use legal frameworks for mass deportations, even in the absence of an ongoing conflict with another nation.
However, referring to Griffin’s fear, even if in jest, there is no verifiable evidence that Donald Trump has stated he would incarcerate American citizens in internment camps.
The statement highlights concerns that deportation policies could expand beyond migrants to affect U.S. citizens, particularly from vulnerable groups. Comedian Kathy Griffin used satire by suggesting she might face internment due to her past Trump criticism, drawing attention to potential civil rights implications.
Some liberal media figures and Democratic lawmakers, like Rachel Maddow and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, have raised concerns about a Trump administration targeting political opponents. They fear actions such as retribution and even the establishment of large-scale camps to detain dissenters.
The concerns about Trump’s rhetoric and policies are speculative, with no solid evidence indicating any plans to detain American citizens in internment camps.
