While the rally didn’t happen in one of the seven crucial election-determining states, it was highlighted by the former president, Trump, fervently discussing the issue of unauthorized immigration at the US-Mexico boundary. He pointed fingers at Vice President Kamala Harris and Colorado Governor Jared Polis, implicating them in the purported downfall of Aurora due to Venezuelan criminal organizations. However, Mayor Mike Coffman, a member of the Republican party, and local law enforcement have refuted Trump’s assertions.
Trump’s journey to Colorado, a state that presumably would not favor him in an election, strategically aims to attract voter attention in nearby swing states like Arizona. He continuously cautioned residents in these states about the potential threats from unauthorized immigrants. His inflammatory narrative portrayed such immigrants as potential usurpers of their communities if Harris secured victory in the election.
During the rally, Trump levied heavy accusations at Harris, referring to her as the ‘border czar’. He argued she was the one importing the wave of illegal migrants and criminals. He stated, ‘Kamala has ushered in a veritable legion of illegal immigrant gangsters and migrant lawbreakers from the deepest corners of the Third World.’
Carrying forward his strong allegations, Trump stated that these migrants were being comfortably settled in various communities, allegedly causing harm to innocent Americans. He continued to charge that this issue was particularly evident in Aurora where, as he claimed, numerous apartment complexes had been overrun by the Tren de Aragua, a notorious Venezuelan prison gang.
Emulating his standard campaign rhetoric, Trump expressed his commitment to resolving the crisis. He avowed his determination to liberate Aurora and each town whose tranquility has been disrupted, using words like ‘invaded’ and ‘conquered’ to signify the severity of the situation.
The former president’s dramatic narrative indicated that the towns were subdued by these immigrant criminals. He discouraged the governor’s seeming unawareness or denial of the situation stating, ‘Explain that to your governor — he doesn’t seem to grasp they’ve been conquered.’ He assured his intentions of imprisoning these criminals or deporting them.
Prior to Trump’s visit, Aurora’s Mayor, Coffman, refuted Trump’s claims about the city’s safety through a post on Facebook. He suggested that the issues regarding Venezuelan gang activity have been hyperbolized. He clarified that these events were confined to a few apartment buildings in a city of over 400,000 inhabitants.
Coffman, alongside Danielle Jurinsky, the Aurora Council Member and Public Safety Chairwoman, also a Republican, previously criticized Trump for his exaggerated claims about the Tren de Aragua criminal group during a presidential debate. They argued against Trump’s statements saying, ‘TdA has not “taken over” the city. The amplified claims promoted by social media and certain news agencies simply don’t adhere to the truth.’
According to the same official statement, the Aurora law enforcement has been able to connect only a handful of individuals to TdA, with most of them being taken into custody. The officials clarified, ‘So far, Aurora Police Department has identified 10 individuals linked to TdA and managed to arrest eight.’
Apart from blaming Harris for the immigration crisis, Trump also lambasted Governor Polis for Colorado’s efforts to exclude him from the primary ballot due to his involvement in the events from Jan. 6, 2021. Despite the Supreme Court overturning this move in March, Trump didn’t hold back his criticism.
Trump alleged, ‘Polis spearheaded the campaign to disqualify me from the ballot based on the argument of my leading poll position against the Democrats.’ He solicited support from the assembly, requesting them to cast their votes for him in the typically Democratic-leaning state.
The campaign to disqualify Trump was initiated by the progressive organization, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics. The group brought the case to Colorado last year. Trump addressed the crowd saying his belief that Colorado could considerably protest the vote due to their actions – both in attempting to keep him off the ballot, and in general societal actions.
Trump reiterated his optimism for a favorable outcome in Colorado with the comments, ‘I am hopeful that Colorado, due to its strong democratic stance, will demonstrate a significant protest vote against their attempt to exclude me from the ballot and the other changes they’ve made to your culture.’
On the other hand, Vice President Harris attended a town hall with Spanish-language broadcaster Univision, during which she addressed the ‘broken immigration system’ of the US, blaming Trump for derailing a border security bill.