In Texas speech, Trump condemns Harris over border security

AUSTIN – Former President Donald Trump on Friday, he used a Texas voting break to reinforce his campaign’s message on border security, his Democratic opponent’s vice president said Kamala Harris he has “innocent blood on his hands” for crimes committed by illegal immigrants, which confirms his involvement in mass deportations.

“As soon as I take the oath of office, I will begin the largest mass deportation program in American history,” Trump told a roaring crowd of about 100 supporters at an invitation-only rally in a private jet hangar in East Austin. “I am arresting every migrant operating on American soil.” According to USA TODAY, the plan could cost billions.

Surrounded by Border Patrol agents and standing between signs that read “DEPORT ILLEGALS NOW” and “END MIGRANT CRIME,” Trump introduced himself Alexis Nungaraywhose daughter Jocelyn was found dead in June on a Houston bayous. Two illegal citizens of Venezuela She was charged with capital murder and sexual assault.

“Kamala Harris never contacted me, never expressed condolences,” Nungaray said, claiming that the Biden administration’s “open borders” policy was responsible for her daughter’s death. While illegal border crossings by migrants have occurred under both the Trump and Biden administrations, the Department of Homeland Security under the Biden administration has followed a catch-and-release policy that allows migrants to wait for asylum hearings in the country rather than holding them in a detention facility.

Nungaray was one of several speakers who criticized Harris for his immigration policies and limited visits to border regions.

More: Live 2024 Election Updates: Eyes on Texas as Trump Stops in Austin; Harris in Houston

About 160 miles to the east, Texans gathered outside Houston’s Shell Energy Stadium on Friday afternoon for an all-star rally hosted by Harris on the key issue of reproductive rights in her presidential campaign.

US representatives will take part in the event. Colin AllredDemocratic congressman from Dallas, who is challenging incumbent Republican US senator Ted Cruz, and was to include appearances by, among others, BeyonceWillie Nelson and DJ Tryfe.

Cruz, who joined Trump at his rally in Austin on Friday afternoon, ridiculed Allred for his speech against Harris.

“If you like Kamala Harris’ open borders, if you like Kamala Harris’ inflation, if you like Kamala Harris letting criminals out of prison and the crime that comes with it, then Colin Allred is your man, because Colin Allred is Kamala Harris” – Cruz said in response to a question from reporters.

During his approximately 40-minute speech, Trump boasted of his support from the National Border Patrol Council, which is the union of Border Patrol agents. He also repeated baseless claims that mental institutions and prisons in other countries are being “emptied” by immigration to the U.S.

“For most of the world, it’s like a garbage dump; they abandon people they don’t want,” Trump said. “If we don’t win this year, we will go to Venezuela, Ted, and celebrate there because it will be much safer there than in our country.”

Historical research has shown this migrants commit crimes less often than US citizens. But supporters of Trump’s goal of deporting all illegal immigrants say one crime is too many.

Trump did not mention his plan to stop federal agencies from automatically granting citizenship to children born in the United States to undocumented parents because in accordance with its agendawhich violates the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution.

Harris criticized Trump for telling Republicans in Congress to refuel bipartisan border billwhich ultimately failed after the former president announced that he would deliver the President Joe Bidenthe administration wins politically. The bill would create presidents greater powers to reject migrants During busy periods, asylum restrictions were tightened and more resources were allocated to Customs and Border Protection officers and inspection checkpoints.

Many Republicans, including Cruz, said they believed the bill was too lenient and that the Biden administration should have found a way to close the border without congressional action.

Enthusiastic crowd

Trump greeted several Texas GOP officials and activists who attended the event, including his allies Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, as well as Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller and Texas Republican Party Chairman Abraham George ‘and.

“When you go after people with a bull… they become very popular,” Trump said of Paxton’s impeachment.

Among the less expected guests was the family of Vanessa Guillen, a soldier killed in 2020 at Fort Cavazos (then Fort Hood). Sister Guillen criticized the report from Atlantic this week, Trump allegedly said, “It doesn’t cost $60,000 to bury a f***ing Mexican!” and refused to pay for the funeral, for which he had promised to foot the bill.

Many rally participants wore signs of support, ranging from subtle to ostentatious. Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham wore a blue dress and heels decorated with glittering American flags; another attendee wore white sneakers with the number “45” embossed in gold. There were plenty of red “Make America Great Again” hats from 2016-2024 in the crowd.

Several of the participants are active in Republican Party chapters in and around Austin, and several told the American-Statesman about their hope that Trump will mend political divisions.

Abhiram Garapati, a Cedar Park farmer who plans to run for Congress in the future, brought a felt cowboy hat with the words “Donald J. Trump” on it to give to the former president at the rally.

An immigrant from India who said he “came here with nothing 25 years ago,” Garapati said he supports Trump wholeheartedly.

“Current politicians have absolutely no vision,” he said. “Nobody says, ‘Let’s put a man on the moon.’ We have lost a politician who has a vision for the country, who wants to unite the country and set high goals for it. That’s why I’m here.” Garapati also mentioned his concerns about inflation, crime and immigration as reasons why he is voting for the former president.

The rancher changed his tone towards Cruz.

“I don’t know why he has so many people against him. As a politician, he needs to work on this,” he said. In his opinion, one of the issues on which Cruz should compromise is abortion rights.

“I hope (both sides) can reach some mutual compromise so that the country can move on and no longer fight over this situation,” he said.

The Butler Rally in Pennsylvania was also fresh in the participants’ minds Trump was almost assassinated. Some rally attendees wore T-shirts depicting the former president with his fist raised after a bullet pierced his earlobe.

Austin Young Republicans member Benjamin Shrader, who sat in front of Trump at the rally, recounted hearing the bullet hit Corey Comperatore about 10 feet behind him.

“I’m glad he’s alive,” he said of Trump. “I hate violence. I believe that violence from any side is terrible for the country; is very dangerous.”

Trump goes to record a podcast

After the rally, Trump’s motorcade headed west to tape a segment of “The Joe Rogan experience” at Rogan’s studio in Austin. The Trump campaign likely assumed that his appearance on the show, which is hugely popular among conservative-leaning Americans, could boost voter turnout, Agriculture Commissioner Miller told reporters.

Traveling to a non-battleground state to record is a sign of a change in the media landscape, as one of Trump’s comments highlighted.

“Fake news, we have plenty of it,” he said of reporters after calling Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg a “freak.” “These are bad people, they are a threat to democracy.”

Harris fans are preparing for a rally in Houston

Meanwhile in Houston, hours before Harris’ rally began, a line for the Democratic candidate formed around Shell Energy Stadium, home to Houston Dynamo FC, the city’s Major League Soccer team.

Seated in the shade of a clump of myrtle trees along the arena’s west wall were cousins Jacqueline Sevier and Tracey Mason-Moore.

As black women who came of age in the 1980s, Mason-Moore and Sevier never dreamed they would have the opportunity to vote for a woman of color in a presidential election. They are now 60 years old.

“This will go down in the history books,” Mason-Moore said.

Both said that the right to abortion is their most important election priority.

“What about the person who was molested or raped?” Mason-Moore said to Fr Almost total abortion ban in Texas.

Sevier interjected, “Especially when it comes to life or death.”

When asked if pop superstar Beyoncé’s anticipated appearance influenced her decision to wait in line, which quickly became very long.

“I’m here on behalf of Harris, that’s all,” Sevier said. “I’m too old to care about Beyoncé.”

On Friday in Houston, Harris criticized Trump’s statement in which he called the United States ” the world’s “garbage bin”, accusing the former president of discrediting the American people.

“This is someone who is a former president of the United States and has a bully pulpit,” Harris told reporters before the rally. “He’s taking advantage of it anyway? Tell the world that somehow the United States of America is trash?”

Statesman writer John Moritz and USA TODAY writer Joey Garrison contributed reporting.