Former President Trump answered questions from Latino voters Wednesday at Univision City Hall in an effort to curry favor with key voting blocs in the November election.
President Trump detailed his plans to crack down on immigration if elected, making conspiratorial comments about Haitian immigrants and border borders during an event in Miami, a week after Vice President Harris attended a similar Univision event. and asked about his economic plans. In Nevada.
Here are five takeaways from the event.
President Trump appeals to key voting groups
Wednesday's town hall was an opportunity for President Trump to directly address concerns in increasingly important voting blocs.
He opened the town hall with a brief statement saying he had done a better job than other Republicans in gaining support from Hispanics and created “many jobs,” and vowed to do more.
President Trump has asked whether he still thinks climate change is a hoax, whether he agrees with his wife's views on abortion rights, and his position on gun rights to parents of school shooting victims. They faced a series of direct questions about key issues, including whether they were defensible. .
pew research Found 36.2 million Latinos are eligible to vote in this year's elections, making them the second fastest-growing major racial group in the United States. Latino voters will be especially important in the battleground states of Arizona and Nevada.
A Times/Siena College public opinion poll In a survey of Hispanic voters released Saturday, 56% said they would vote for Harris, while 37% said they would vote for Trump.
exit poll In 2020, President Biden won 65% of Latino voters, compared to 32% who voted for Trump.
President Trump makes strong case for Haitian immigration
A voter, who identified himself as an undecided registered Republican, claimed that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were eating his pets, even though local officials claim this is not true. Trump was asked if he really believed the claims.
Trump doubled down on his claims, suggesting that immigrants like those in Springfield are destroying the country.
“This was just reported. I'm just saying what's being reported. That's what's being reported. There's other things that people are eating that they shouldn't be eating,” Trump said.
Trump went on to argue that the influx of immigrants into towns like Springfield is upsetting longtime residents and straining local hospitals, schools and other services.
“I don't think you can just destroy our country. There are probably some people who don't agree with me,” Trump said. “But you can't put 32,000 people together in a town of 50,000 people in a very short period of time and expect things to go well. That's a disaster. It's an utter disaster.”
Haitian immigrants have become a political hot topic since President Trump and his running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), amplified false claims that Springfield immigrants were kidnapping and eating pets. It is involved in a commotion.
About 15,000 Haitian immigrants have arrived in Springfield, a city of about 60,000 people, in recent years, according to . Associated Press. Many remain in the country legally under Temporary Protected Status, which avoids deportation to countries in turmoil and allows them to work in the United States, but President Trump is threatening to revoke that status.
President Trump tells skeptical voters that January 6 was a 'day of love'
The former president dismissed a voter named Ramiro Gonzalez who expressed concerns about Trump's inaction on January 6, his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, and criticism of Trump by some former administration officials. did.
President Trump has dismissed former administration officials who have said they do not support him as a dissatisfied minority. Former Vice President Mike Pence, former Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, and former National Security Adviser John Bolton also made this statement. they won't support trump.
Regarding January 6, when a mob violently clashed with law enforcement at the Capitol in an attempt to stop the certification of President Biden's 2020 victory, President Trump downplayed his role in the riot and called the day a “day of love.” ” he called.
“Hundreds of thousands of people came to Washington. They didn't come for me. They came for the election.” Trump, who was spreading false claims that there is. “Some of those people went to the Capitol peacefully and patriotically. They did nothing wrong.”
By the end of his response, which included attacks on President Biden for refusing to lay off his staff, Trump seemed to realize that he likely would not win over the voters he was addressing.
“I hope that someday I'll get your vote. It probably sounds like I won't, but that's okay,” Trump said.
President Trump avoids troubling aspects of his plan
During the event, President Trump repeatedly emphasized his vision for a strong economy with abundant jobs, low inflation and secure borders, but several times avoided delving into details when pressed by attendees.
President Trump never detailed plans for a large-scale deportation operation to remove illegal immigrants, a centerpiece of his campaign promise.
One participant, a farmer named Jorge Velasquez, asked about replacing undocumented workers, who are key to fruit and vegetable harvests, if President Trump implements his deportation plan.
President Trump did not directly address the idea of replacing displaced workers or the costs that farmers were seeking, instead saying that while the current administration has “lost control,” his administration He said it was the best government for him. He also argued that Hispanic and Black Americans are losing jobs to illegal aliens.
The former president also avoided answering a question from a suburban Chicago woman about why he pressured Republican lawmakers to kill a bipartisan border bill that failed to pass the Senate earlier this year.
President Trump spent much of his response accusing Chicago of having a “terrible mayor” and blaming Democrats for crime in the city. He reiterated that the border was “strong” during his presidency.
“Everything the Democrats do is bad,” he said.
Trump rarely praises Harris
The former president has relentlessly launched a series of personal and humiliating attacks against Harris over the past few months, insulting her intelligence, laughter and speaking style. But on Wednesday, one voter forced President Trump to show a different side.
Trump was asked to list three strengths about Harris, which the former president called “the toughest question” of the night. He began by saying he was “not a fan” and believed Harris had done the country “terrible” damage on the border and inflation issues.
Ultimately, he called Harris a “survivor” and noted that she dropped out of the 2020 Democratic primary before voting began, but managed to become vice president and ultimately the party's nominee. did.
President Trump praised Harris, saying he has “been friends with her for quite some time,” and said the vice president “seems to have a good attitude toward her.”
“I like some of the things she's said and some of the things she's done, but in other ways I think they're very bad for our country,” Trump said.
Harris is I asked a similar question At a Univision town hall last week, she said her partner loves his family but can't point to any other qualities.
“I don't know much about him. I only met him once… so I don't have much more to offer you.”
