Trump escalates anti-immigrant rhetoric in attacks targeting Harris at Wisconsin rally

Former President Donald Trump intensified his anti-immigrant rhetoric and launched personal attacks on Vice President Kamala Harris during a campaign rally in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, on Saturday.

As the 2024 presidential election nears, Trump devoted much of his speech to immigration, focusing on undocumented immigrants and their involvement in violent crimes.

Flanked by posters depicting immigrants who had committed violent acts, Trump labeled undocumented individuals as "stone-cold killers," "monsters," and "vile animals."

He called for stronger immigration enforcement, emphasizing slogans like "End Migrant Crime" and "Deport Illegals Now" displayed on banners around the stage.

Trump's remarks come as immigration remains a key issue in the 2024 election. He is locked in a close race with Harris, the Democratic candidate, and opinion polls indicate that the state of the US-Mexico border is a major concern for voters.

Trump specifically targeted Harris, blaming her and President Joe Biden for what he described as a crisis at the southern border.

Referring to Harris’s recent visit to the border, Trump launched personal insults, calling her “mentally impaired” and “mentally disabled.”

He accused the vice president of failing to secure the border and alleged that undocumented immigrants aim to “rape, pillage, thieve, plunder, and kill the people of the United States of America.”

“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,” Trump said.

“Kamala Harris can never be forgiven for her erasing our border, and she must never be allowed to become president of the United States.”

Trump also played a video that compiled Harris’s previous comments on immigration, after which he called her “incompetent” and “a bad person,” before adding, “She’s a Marxist.”

Trump stood in front of posters featuring immigrants who had committed violent crimes in the US, calling for stricter immigration policies under slogans like “End Migrant Crime” and “Deport Illegals Now.”

At one point in the rally, Trump acknowledged the grim tone of his speech, stating, "This is a dark speech," while accusing Harris of erasing US sovereignty through what he characterized as an open border policy.

He also warned that Harris should "never be allowed to become president of the United States."

The rally took place in a small Wisconsin town where a Venezuelan immigrant was recently arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman and attacking her daughter.

Trump used the incident to further fuel his argument against undocumented immigrants, repeatedly suggesting that they contribute disproportionately to violent crime.

However, studies have consistently found that immigrants, including those undocumented, do not commit crimes at higher rates than native-born Americans.

Despite these findings, Trump has continued to highlight cases involving Hispanic assailants, particularly those accused of harming young women, to reinforce his stance on immigration.

Critics have accused him of exploiting these cases to stoke fear and reinforce harmful stereotypes about immigrants.

Meanwhile, Harris, during her own recent visit to the US-Mexico border, addressed the issue of immigration, outlining her plans to reform the system.

She criticized Trump for “fanning the flames of fear and division” regarding immigrants and vowed to make stopping the flow of fentanyl into the country a top priority.

Trump's running mate, JD Vance, echoed his harsh criticisms of Harris at a separate event in Pennsylvania, accusing her of lacking a clear plan to address the nation's challenges.

Vance also attempted to link the country’s economic issues, such as inflation and rising housing costs, to immigration policies under Harris and Biden.

The rally concluded with Trump reiterating his unproven claims of a rigged 2020 election and suggesting that, if re-elected, he would prosecute those he believes were responsible for his loss.

Previously, in addition to his immigration-focused tirades, Trump expanded his critique to include Google and other Big Tech companies, accusing them of election interference.

Trump specifically targeted Google, claiming that the tech giant is manipulating search results to favor Harris in the 2024 presidential race while suppressing positive coverage of his own campaign.

In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump alleged that Google operates an “illegal” system of search algorithms that highlights negative stories about him while promoting favorable coverage of Harris.

Although he did not provide specific evidence for his claims, Trump warned that if re-elected, he would push for the US Department of Justice to prosecute Google for what he called “blatant interference” in the election process

Trump, who is locked in a close race with Harris ahead of the November 2024 election, continues to emphasize the need for tighter border security, blaming both Harris and President Joe Biden for the current state of affairs.

His rhetoric against both immigrants and his political opponents suggests a continued focus on divisive issues as the election approaches.