Trump Returns to Aurora, Colorado, Focusing on Immigration Ahead of Rally.
Last month, during a presidential debate, former President Donald Trump claimed that violent migrant gangs were “taking over” Aurora, Colorado. This statement amplified a disputed rumor circulated by his supporters online in the days leading up to his televised debate with Vice President Kamala Harris.
Now, Trump is scheduled to hold a rally in Aurora, bringing the city back into the spotlight. He aims to focus on immigration, a key issue for his campaign.
Trump has positioned his campaign around the idea that securing the border and deporting undocumented immigrants are urgent national priorities. His rhetoric has become increasingly charged, often leaning into negative stereotypes about foreigners from poorer nations.
He has made inflammatory claims, such as suggesting that Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, are “eating the pets” of local residents. He has warned residents of a small Wisconsin town about the negative impact of immigrants on the country. Recently, Trump even suggested that some immigrants possess “bad genes” that lead to criminal behavior.
However, this strategy carries significant risks. Polls consistently show that the economy is the most pressing concern for voters. A recent CNN poll indicated that over 40% of likely voters consider the economy the top issue, while only 12% prioritized immigration.
In light of these trends, Trump’s campaign has adjusted its messaging in key battleground states. In August, the campaign spent about $15.5 million on television ads focused on immigration, but this month, such ads have almost disappeared. Instead, the campaign has shifted its spending, with 77% of broadcast ads in September focused on economic issues.
Despite the polling data, Trump remains confident in his approach. Speaking to a crowd in Wisconsin, he said, “I really don’t agree” that the economy will determine the election outcome.
“I know they do all these polls, and the polls say it’s the economy, and the polls say very strongly it’s inflation,” Trump stated. “To me, it’s the horrible people that we’re allowing into our country that are destroying our country. And it’s the hardest problem to solve too.”
Trump’s Long-standing Focus on Immigration
Trump is comfortable discussing illegal immigration. He began his first presidential campaign in 2015 by condemning Mexican immigrants for “drugs,” “crime,” and “rapists.” His campaign promised to build a wall on the southern border and make Mexico pay for it— a promise he failed to deliver during his presidency. However, the 458 miles of new and replacement wall constructed during his administration stand as an unfinished symbol of his ongoing fixation with controlling illegal immigration.
Trump frequently laments that during his 2020 campaign, he struggled to generate excitement around the issue that first won him the presidency. He often recounts how his aides advised him against focusing on immigration, telling him that “nobody wants to talk about the border anymore.”
Now, as he campaigns for the White House again, Trump is reviving old promises, including completing the border wall and initiating mass deportations by empowering local law enforcement to remove millions of undocumented immigrants.
This issue frequently dominates his public appearances, even when the events are advertised as focusing on other topics. For instance, during a recent speech in Savannah, Georgia, that was meant to discuss tax policy and U.S. manufacturing, Trump mentioned “border” 29 times, overshadowing the economic message he intended to convey.
He has criticized his advisors for trying to restrain his rhetoric. In Asheville, North Carolina, he mockingly referred to their guidance, saying, “We’re doing this as an intellectual speech. We’re all intellectuals today.”
Harris Challenges Trump’s Immigration Narrative
While Trump emphasizes immigration, his campaign also holds events focused on the issue, including a recent rally in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, featuring residents whose lives have been affected by crimes committed by undocumented individuals.
Despite Trump’s focus on immigration, a recent Gallup poll revealed that 72% of Americans consider it an important issue, the highest level recorded in two decades. This concern is more pronounced among Republicans, with 63% indicating it is a critical factor in their voting decisions.
Vice President Kamala Harris has also been working to challenge Trump’s perceived advantage on immigration. She made her first visit to the U.S. border as a presidential candidate in late September. During a recent town hall with Univision, she accused Trump of obstructing a bipartisan border security bill, claiming he preferred to “run on a problem” rather than address it.
“Donald Trump found out about that bill, realized it would be the solution, and told them not to put it on the floor for a vote because he would prefer to run on a problem, instead of fixing a problem,” Harris said. “Real leadership is about solving problems on behalf of the people.”
Aurora at the Center of Controversy
Trump’s upcoming appearance in Aurora has generated attention, particularly given his campaign’s claim that “Kamala’s border bloodbath has made every state a border state.”
Aurora became a focal point in the campaign following a surge of online right-wing narratives. Trump supporters circulated footage from an apartment complex showing armed men in the hallways. They falsely claimed the footage depicted Venezuelan gangs taking over the complex. Although the building’s owner acknowledged some issues, local authorities stated that the problems stemmed from substandard housing conditions rather than migrants. The police also found gang activity linked to a Venezuelan group but denied any claims of a gang takeover.
Despite these clarifications, Trump escalated the narrative, asserting that Venezuelan gangs were overtaking large areas of Colorado and hinting at potential violence if he is elected. “You know, getting them out will be a bloody story,” he told supporters during a rally in Wisconsin.
After Trump mentioned Aurora during the debate, the city’s mayor, Mike Coffman, a Republican former congressman, refuted the claims, stating that “overstated claims fueled by social media and through select news organizations are simply not true.”
Trump initially planned to visit Springfield, Ohio—another city caught up in right-wing conspiracy theories about migrants—but canceled after local officials expressed concerns about the negative impact on the community.
However, Coffman expressed his welcome for Trump’s visit, stating, “If he comes here, I see it as an opportunity to show him the city and break the narrative that this city is out of control when it comes to Venezuelan gangs.”
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