By Tim Reid
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Donald Trump on Saturday deployed a few of his harshest rhetoric in opposition to immigrants who’ve crossed the border illegally and dedicated crimes, particularly in opposition to younger girls, whereas he additionally escalated his private insults in opposition to Kamala Harris.
Within the battleground state of Wisconsin, Trump referred to as Democratic Vice President Harris, who on Friday visited the U.S.-Mexico border for the primary time in her 2024 presidential marketing campaign, “mentally impaired” and “mentally disabled”.
The Republican presidential candidate was flanked by posters of immigrants within the U.S. illegally who’ve been arrested for homicide and different violent crimes, and banners saying “End Migrant Crime” and “Deport Illegals Now.”
His speech was unusually devoted virtually totally to undocumented immigrants. He referred to as those that had dedicated violent crime “monsters,” “stone-cold killers” and “vile animals”.
Trump is locked in a detailed race with Harris forward of the Nov. 5 election. Immigration and the southern border are one of many high points for voters, in accordance with opinion polls.
Sarafina Chitika, a Harris spokesperson, stated after Trump’s speech: “He’s got nothing ‘inspiring’ to offer the American people, just darkness.”
The previous president blamed Harris and Democratic President Joe Biden for permitting undocumented immigrants into the U.S., accusing some migrants of eager to “rape, pillage, thieve, plunder and kill the people of the United States of America.”
At one level Trump admitted: “This is a dark speech”.
Trump’s speech was within the small Wisconsin metropolis of Prairie du Chien, the place a Venezuelan within the U.S. illegally was detained in September for allegedly sexually assaulting a lady and attacking her daughter.
Some 7 million migrants have been arrested crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally throughout Biden’s administration, in accordance with authorities information, a report excessive quantity that has fueled criticism of Harris and Biden from Trump and fellow Republicans.
In her go to to the border on Friday, Harris outlined her plans to repair “our broken immigration system” whereas accusing Trump of “fanning the flames of fear and division” over the impression of immigrants on American life.
Harris additionally referred to as for tighter asylum restrictions and vowed to make a “top priority” of stopping fentanyl from getting into the U.S.
Trump additionally repeated his false declare that his 2020 election defeat to Biden was fraudulent. If reelected, and “if allowed”, Trump stated he would prosecute folks he blames for his loss then.
Research typically discover there isn’t a proof immigrants commit crimes at the next fee than native-born Individuals and critics say Trump’s rhetoric reinforces racist tropes.
Trump usually focuses on younger girls allegedly killed by Hispanic assailants to drive residence that message, eschewing instances that contain male victims.
Trump’s opponents accuse him of cynically exploiting grieving households to gasoline his narrative that foreign-born, usually Hispanic, arrivals are a part of an invading military.
However a number of the households of the victims have welcomed Trump’s deal with the problem of violent crime and the dying toll of youngsters brought on by the opioid drug fentanyl, a lot of which crosses into the U.S. over the southern border.
A number of mother and father who had misplaced youngsters to assaults by immigrants within the U.S. illegally, or to fentanyl, spoke in help of him earlier than Trump’s remarks on Saturday.
