Washington – As Donald Trump makes vile, anti-immigrant lies the centerpiece of his closing argument and proposes a dangerous vision for the nation centered on violence and retribution against citizens and non-citizens alike, some of the most powerful questions that have held him to account and captured this dynamic were from ordinary Americans. Notably, Latino questioners, identified as undecided voters, many of whom have direct experience and perspectives on immigration, stood before Donald Trump at a Univision town hall this week and respectfully but forcefully asked essential questions.
In response, Trump reiterated lies about immigrants and the 2020 elections, refused to answer specifics and reminded the questioners – and all Americans – what’s at stake.
Vanessa Cárdenas, Executive Director of America’s Voice, said:
“The voters at the Univision town hall cut through the fog and distractions of election dynamics and offered clear-eyed and sharp reminders of who Donald Trump is and what’s at stake for the country in the 2024 elections. Trump relied on his usual mix of refusing to answer, pivoting to lies and falsehoods, and doubling down on his dangerous, costly and self-destructive vision for the nation. He also sought to whitewash his record, pretending that everything was well on immigration when he was at the White House. It was not. Trump’s anti-immigrant policies were not only costly and cruel, but also a failure, whether judged by border metrics, the wasteful and ineffective border wall, or his vicious policy of family separation.”
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Mass deportation question: One questioner, a farmer, asked Trump “Who would do farm work if you follow through on your promises of mass deportation?” Instead of addressing the question, Trump deflected to focus on crime, repeating false claims that the Biden administration was allowing “murderers, drug dealers, and terrorists” into the U.S. He claimed, “We want workers and we want them to come in, but they have to come in legally. They have to love our country.” This is despite the fact that as President, he cut legal immigration opportunities by about two-thirds while decimating the asylum and refugee systems.
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Border bill question: Another voter asked why Trump forced Republicans in the Senate earlier this year to kill a bipartisan border security bill that sought to provide more resources for the border, crack down on illegal migration, and reduce border crossings. Trump pivoted to repeating lies about immigrants and crime in Chicago.
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January 6th question: Another questioner, a Cuban-American construction worker, asked Donald Trump about his inaction during the January 6 insurrection. In response, Trump lied about his actions, boasted about crowd sizes and downplayed his critical role in encouraging his violent and lawless supporters. He shifted the blame to Mike Pence, stating, “If he would have done what he was supposed to do, we would have won the election,” and made unfounded claims about election fraud, insisting, “You had hundreds of thousands of people come to Washington. They didn’t come because of me; they came because of the election.” He further insisted, “I said peacefully and patriotically,” while dismissing the violence, claiming, “Nothing done wrong at all, nothing done wrong.”
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