Over the weekend, Donald Trump made some controversial remarks about undocumented immigrants during his 2016 campaign launch, where he labeled them as “rapists.” This time, he escalated his rhetoric by suggesting that some immigrants are “not people… these are animals.”
At a rally in Ohio on Saturday, Trump expressed his views, stating, “I don’t know if you call them people. In some cases, they’re not people, in my opinion. But I’m not allowed to say that because the radical left says that’s a terrible thing to say.” He further emphasized, “These are bad — these are animals. And we have to stop it.”
During this event, Trump also mentioned his plans for what he described as “the largest deportation effort in history.” This statement came as he read “The Snake,” further intensifying his stance on migrants.
The rally was in support of Ohio Senate candidate Bernie Moreno, a Colombian immigrant. Moreno, alongside Trump, advocated for the necessity of learning English, mistakenly claiming it to be the national language of the United States. Notable attendees included Ohio Sen. JD Vance and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, both rumored to be potential running mates for Trump.
Moreno, who had previously called Trump a “lunatic invading the party” in 2016, highlighted the importance of assimilation into American culture, stating, “We don’t need to vote in five different languages. We learn the language. It means you assimilate. You become part of America; America doesn’t become part of you.”
Trump also made a bold promise of imposing a “100 percent tariff on every single car that comes across [the] line” if he were to be elected, threatening a “bloodbath” for the country if he loses the election. This remark was later clarified by Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung, who explained that Trump’s comments were in reference to the auto industry and tariffs, not violence.
Cheung defended Trump’s statements, arguing that Biden’s policies would lead to an “economic bloodbath” for the auto industry and its workers. In response to Trump’s comments about a potential “bloodbath,” Biden campaign spokesperson James Singer criticized Trump’s approach, stating, “This is who Donald Trump is: a loser who gets beat by over 7 million votes and then instead of appealing to a wider mainstream audience doubles down on his threats of political violence.” Singer emphasized the American people’s rejection of Trump’s extremism and his inclination towards violence and revenge, predicting another electoral defeat for Trump in November.