Former President Donald Trump is currently conducting a campaign tour through the southwestern United States, with rallies held in Tucson, Arizona, and Las Vegas, Nevada, and a press conference scheduled at his southern California golf course.
Trump’s campaign has stated that the focus in Arizona and Nevada is on economic issues, particularly addressing the cost of living concerns that have intensified in these states since the pandemic, with significant increases in rents and mortgages. During a press event on Friday morning, Trump criticized Vice President Kamala Harris and California Governor Gavin Newsom, attributing the economic challenges in California to their policies.
“It’s very sad when I have to stand out here on my property and say how bad California is,” Trump remarked while speaking in Rancho Palos Verdes. His address, which he delivered in a characteristically informal manner, lasted almost 40 minutes, followed by a question-and-answer session with gathered journalists for nearly 30 minutes.
During his time in the border state, Trump reiterated false claims concerning immigrant communities, similar to those he made during his first post-debate rally in Arizona. He made debunked assertions about legal Haitian migrants, incorrectly labeling them as illegal and accusing them of abducting and consuming pets. Additionally, Trump continued to falsely suggest that Venezuelan gangs were prevalent and uncontrolled in Aurora, Colorado.
At the California press conference, Trump reinforced his campaign promise of widespread deportations, specifically naming Springfield, Ohio, and Aurora, Colorado. “We will have the largest deportation in the history of our country. And we’ll start with Springfield and Aurora,” he stated, despite repeated calls from officials in these cities to refrain from using inflammatory rhetoric.
When questioned about the potential harm his statements could cause, especially in light of ongoing bomb threats in Springfield targeting the Haitian migrant community, Trump dismissed the concerns. He deflected by shifting focus to what he described as threats posed by illegal border crossings.
“No, the real threat is what’s happening at our border. Because you have thousands of people being killed by illegal migrants coming in and also dying. You have women dying as they come up,” Trump responded. “And then when they get here, they can go into the country, and they end up being sex slaves and everything else. Those are your real problems, not the problem that you’re talking (about).”
Trump also attempted to substantiate his false claims about an increase in violent crime, which he attributed to migrant-related criminal activities, without providing evidence. He accused the FBI of falsifying its reporting on violent crime statistics, although no evidence supports the notion that the FBI has manipulated its crime reporting.
While the former president’s rhetoric remains unchanged, the dissemination of these false reports by him and other Republicans appears to be part of a broader campaign strategy that instills fear concerning the immigrant community and criticizes Vice President Harris for the Biden administration’s border policies.
