Former President Trump lashed out at Vice President Harris on Saturday evening in his home state of California, lashing out at immigrants and criticizing illegal immigration in the Golden State.
Trump cut back on part of his speech at a rally at Coachella, decrying the West Coast’s “lost paradise” and blaming Democratic presidential candidate Harris for violent crime, border problems and high inflation.
“We will not let her destroy our country like she did San Francisco,” Trump said of his White House opponent, who served as district attorney in a Northern California city before becoming attorney general and U.S. senator.
President Trump claimed, “It is a lost paradise, but we will get it back.”
The former president spent much of his speech in the state’s 25th Congressional District angrily criticizing immigration policies promoted by Harris during the Biden administration, using fear-mongering language to describe the “evil, bloodthirsty criminals” he claimed were being overtaken. and condemned “savage gangs.” California.
The former president criticized Harris for allowing waves of dangerous people to enter the state while holding the highest office in elected office. “She brought in an army of illegal aliens from the dungeons of the Third World,” Trump said without evidence.
He added, “They are currently living happily in California.”
The Republican presidential candidate, who is running against Harris in many swing state polls, falsely claimed that Harris had “resettled” criminal non-citizens “from prisons and detention centers” into the community. “They can now prey on innocent Americans,” he lamented, later promising to “rescue people” from Harris.
Immigration issues often rank high among voters’ concerns, and Trump used his brief visit to draw attention to some of Harris’ most progressive policy positions, including her advocacy for abolishing the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency known as ICE.
A few progressive Democrats have expressed support for shrinking or abolishing the agency entirely, but this call has not found much traction within the party and has met with opposition, especially from moderates. Harris pledged to cut some ICE funding while running for the Democratic nomination in 2020, but later stepped down from that position while serving under President Biden and seeking the top spot on Pennsylvania Ave this November.
During an election year when candidates typically focus on issues closer to home, Trump has placed more emphasis on immigration than on domestic issues like jobs and the economy. Instead, he reinvigorated the border wall rhetoric that fueled his 2016 presidential campaign against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and dominated much of his administration.
President Trump promised, “We will close the borders on the first day.”
Midway through his speech, Trump moved away from California to address a national audience, becoming more outraged about the prevalence of illegal immigration across the country.
He called for the death penalty for illegal immigrants who kill U.S. citizens or law enforcement officers, and said he would mobilize special forces from state to state to deport illegal immigrants.
President Trump introduced himself to the crowd, saying, “The invasion of immigrants is over and our country’s recovery begins.” He also used cryptic language to describe his political opponents.
“She was done the day I took office,” he shouted.
While Trump’s trip to blue-centered California is unlikely to shake up the top rankings, some election analysts and pollsters told The Hill it could have an impact on a handful of important congressional races for control of the House of Representatives this week. The 22nd and 27th Congressional Districts, represented by Republicans, are closest to Coachella.
