In a fiery rally speech in Milwaukee on Friday night, former President Donald Trump reiterated his hardline anti-immigrant stance, promising to usher in a “golden age” by stopping the “criminal invasion” of the country if re-elected in 2024. The sprawling 90-minute address touched on core campaign issues like the economy and foreign policy, but also featured alarming threats to curb press freedoms.
Trump Slams Harris, Vows Mass Deportations
In one of his most inflammatory comments of the night, Trump referred to Vice President Kamala Harris as a “low-IQ person,” claiming the US would plunge into a “1929 style depression” if she were to win the presidency. He painted a grim picture of cities and towns “conquered” by immigrants, whom he called “animals,” and pledged to launch the “largest deportation program in American history” on his first day back in office.
The rally featured a painful video of a mother blaming Harris for her daughter’s murder, allegedly at the hands of an unauthorized immigrant. While such anecdotes are a hallmark of Trump’s nativist appeals, numerous studies have debunked the notion that immigrants commit crimes at higher rates than native-born citizens.
Allies Decry “Nazi” Comparisons
Trump and his allies pushed back against what they see as unfair characterizations of the MAGA movement. Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson accused the vice president of comparing Republicans to “the most evil mass murderers in history,” saying she thinks Trump supporters are “Nazis, fascists.”
“Vice President Harris thinks you are Nazis, fascists.”
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI)
Johnson praised Trump for bringing former Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard into his campaign, casting it as a unifying move. In a surprise address, Kennedy asked the crowd to vote for Trump despite having ended his own White House bid. “God sent me Donald J. Trump,” he declared to chants of “Bobby!”
Stoking Fears of Immigrant Voters
Rep. Bryan Steil used his speech to promote a state constitutional amendment barring non-citizens from voting in Wisconsin elections. The measure speaks to growing but unfounded anxieties on the right about unauthorized immigrants illegally swaying election results.
Some attendees said they plan to scrutinize the citizenship status of voters in their capacity as poll watchers. “My biggest thing I would be looking for is if somebody can’t speak English,” said one Trump activist, while acknowledging the high legal bar for challenging votes in the state.
A Familiar Playbook
Trump’s demonization of immigrants as criminals and electoral threats is a defining feature of his political brand. Dating back to his infamous 2015 campaign launch speech painting Mexican immigrants as “rapists” and drug dealers, stoking fears of a foreign invasion has been key to his connection with the GOP base.
While inflammatory, such rhetoric has also proven effective, helping propel Trump to an upset victory in 2016 and fueling Republican gains in 2020 even as he lost the presidency. With polls showing immigration remaining a top issue for GOP voters, expect Trump to keep beating the drum as 2024 heats up.
