Donald Trump spoke on Saturday in Wisconsin, ramping up his anti-immigrant rhetoric and intensifying personal attacks on Kamala Harris.
During his speech in Prairie du Chien, Trump focused almost entirely on undocumented immigrants. He inaccurately labeled them as violent criminals, calling them “stone-cold killers,” “monsters,” and “vile animals.” This small community recently witnessed the arrest of a Venezuelan immigrant, who was detained in September for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman and attacking her daughter.
Trump’s backdrop featured posters of undocumented immigrants arrested for murder and other violent crimes, alongside banners stating “End Migrant Crime” and “Deport Illegals Now.”
The Republican candidate is in a tight race against Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate and vice president, ahead of the November 5 election. Immigration remains a top issue for voters, according to recent polls.
Trump criticized Harris, who visited the US-Mexico border on Friday for the first time during her 2024 presidential campaign, calling her “mentally impaired” and “mentally disabled.” He blamed both her and President Joe Biden for allowing undocumented immigrants into the country, accusing some of them of wanting to “rape, pillage, thieve, plunder and kill the people of the United States.”
At one point, Trump acknowledged, “This is a dark speech.” He stated, “There’s no greater act of disloyalty than to extinguish the sovereignty of your own nation right through your border, no matter what lies she tells.” He added that Harris can never be forgiven for “erasing our border” and should not be allowed to become president.
During the speech, a video critical of Harris was played, showing her comments on immigration policy. Trump remarked, “She is a disaster, and she’s not going to ever do anything for the border. She’s incompetent and a bad person,” labeling her a “Marxist.”
JD Vance, Trump’s running mate, continued the attacks on Harris during a speech in Pennsylvania. He echoed Trump’s claims and criticized Harris for lacking substance and plans. Vance claimed, without evidence, that Harris has contributed to rising inflation and linked the country’s economic struggles to immigration, referring to it as an “invasion.”
Vance argued that immigrants are driving up housing costs. Government data shows that about 7 million immigrants have been arrested for crossing the US-Mexico border illegally during Biden’s administration, a record number that has led to criticism from Trump and fellow Republicans.
In her border visit, Harris outlined plans to address the “broken immigration system,” accusing Trump of “fanning the flames of fear and division” regarding immigrants’ impact on American life. She called for stricter asylum rules and prioritized stopping fentanyl from entering the US.
Before concluding his speech, Trump invited the mother of Rachel Morin, a Maryland mother of five who was murdered last year. A native of El Salvador was arrested in connection with Morin’s death, which Trump has used to bolster his anti-immigrant narrative.
Research generally indicates that immigrants do not commit crimes at higher rates than native-born Americans. Critics argue that Trump’s rhetoric reinforces harmful stereotypes. His opponents accuse him of exploiting the grief of families to support his claim that foreign-born individuals, often Hispanic, are part of an invading force.
However, some victim families support Trump’s focus on violent crime and the opioid crisis, primarily fueled by fentanyl crossing the southern border.
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