Former President Donald Trump arrives at a campaign rally at the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center in Aurora, Colo., on Friday. On stage, he was surrounded by mugs of undocumented immigrants whom authorities had accused of crimes.
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Former President Donald Trump brought his tough immigration message to Aurora, Colorado, on Friday, a community wracked by immigrant crime — despite pushback from local leaders.
Trump has repeatedly name-checked Aurora in speeches and debates in recent weeks — likening the Denver suburb to a “war zone.” He expanded on claims that Venezuelan mobs had taken over apartment buildings in the city, a situation that elected Republican and Democratic leaders on the floor. They said it was too much and is being handled by local and federal law enforcement.
For nearly 90 minutes, Trump doubled down on that message as officials flanked the stage with mugs of undocumented immigrants accused of crimes. If he is re-elected, he has announced the implementation of a nationwide initiative dubbed “Operation Aurora”. Trump said that the plan will be based on Alien Enemies Act 1798A wartime power that allows the president to detain or deport members of an enemy nation.
Various topics such as Al Capone, Hillary Clinton, CBS’ were touched upon. 60 minutes. But immigration was paramount.
He showed television clips, including Fox News segments on immigrant crime, and said immigrants were coming from insane asylums and prisons and taking over cities like Aurora.
“Compared to these our criminals are like children. These criminals are the most violent people on earth.
He then specifically mentioned Aurora and blamed Vice President Harris for the rise of new immigrants.
Kamala has imported an army of illegal aliens and immigrant criminals from the dungeons of the Third World. “She’s pretty much resettled in your community to prey on innocent American citizens, and that’s what they’re doing. And nowhere is that more evident than here.
Local leaders say the city has actually become safer
About 12 people allegedly linked to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua have been arrested for various crimes in the Denver metro area. But local officials in Aurora have pushed back forcefully against Trump’s claims — saying his comments about international gangs in the city are exaggerated.
researchers Immigrants, documented or not, have repeatedly found that they do not commit crimes at higher rates than US citizens. City officials have repeatedly denied that the gang controls any building or part of the city, as have many of the residents of the buildings Trump seized as the basis for the attacks on Aurora.
Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman, a Republican and longtime Trump critic, said he hoped Trump would take time to tour the city.
Kaufman’s message to Trump? “I’m glad you’re here, so the narrative that’s being presented nationally about this city is not true, that gang-controlled apartment complexes are not, the city is not gang-controlled, Venezuela is gang-controlled.”
During his remarks, Trump disparaged Colorado’s Democratic governor, Jared Polis, and called him a coward, a fraud and a deplorable — and Harris and Democrats in general.
At a news conference before Trump’s rally, Gov. Jared Polis acknowledged that Aurora has crime victims, but said statistics show the city has become safer in the past two years and that Trump is distorting the truth.
It really shows that when former President Trump often speaks, he doesn’t seem to care who he offends, his words, his rhetoric, or the consequences of what he says.
An enthusiastic audience in a state Democratic party is expected to win
People cheer before Trump’s rally in Aurora, Colo.
Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images
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Trump’s visit to Colorado has polls showing him in a historically close race with Harris. Although Trump is certain to lose in reliably blue Colorado, for his supporters in the state, his visit was a welcome event.
About 10,000 people filled a hall in Aurora near the Gaylord Rockies Airport, a resort and convention center on the outskirts of a city that Trump has said is dangerous to visit.
That includes supporters like Stephen Farrell and his daughter. The couple was in the first row to see Trump and stayed up all night outside waiting for him to get inside. It was their first Trump rally.
Farrell said he had been involved in politics for the past three years, driven in part by a sense that the country was rapidly declining from what he described as government sabotage and misspent spending.
“There is a lot of fear and division in society, and people need to learn to come together and solve these problems and issues,” he said. “I don’t think hurricane victims should be sending billions of dollars to Ukraine while they struggle to pay taxes for the rest of their lives.”
Trump supporters said they were excited to hear him speak on the US border with Mexico, immigration and economic issues.
“My main issue as a black man is that I want the economy to be stronger than it has been for the last three and a half years,” said Henry Jones, a retired Denver police officer who lives in Aurora. “Not just for black people, but for everybody in the country,” he said.
Tracy Kim of Colorado Springs was at the front of the line at Friday’s start. He said his main issue was the integrity of voting. He arrived Thursday afternoon and said it would be Trump’s 25th rally since 2016. He described it as a rock concert for political activists.
“The energy, the love. I mean these people, we all take care of each other,” she explained. “Half of these people met each other yesterday and we all feel like family, we all make sure we’re warm and we’re taken care of. I’d say the greatest people you’ll ever meet in your life are at a Trump rally. They will take the shirt off their back for you.
He was standing next to 19-year-old Ben Feeney, who lives about an hour away from Aurora, and said he likes supporting the people in the town in Trump Colorado and is proud to vote for Trump in his first presidential election.
“True leadership is shown when you’re under attack, when you’re standing on the verge of dying, fighting for your last breath, standing your ground. That’s leadership. That’s what I have to say,” he said as he paused, becoming emotional.