We Observed 20 Trump Rallies: His Racist, Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric Intensifies.
A POLITICO examination of over 20 of his rallies and campaign events reveals that Trump has consistently demonized minority groups throughout.
TroibNews 
Donald Trump pledged to “rescue” the Denver suburb of Aurora, Colorado, from what he describes as rapists, “blood thirsty criminals,” and “most violent people on earth,” attributing the decline of the nation’s “fabric” and culture to immigrants.
His remarks in Aurora, which have become a focal point in his campaign as Election Day nears, exemplify the former president's intensifying xenophobic and racist rhetoric directed at migrants and minority groups, whom he claims are inherently predisposed to crime. This perception of migrants as a threat forms the backbone of Trump's closing argument, where he assures his supporters that he is the one who can protect the country from individuals he labels as “animals,” “stone cold killers,” and “the enemy from within.”
Beyond advocating for border security and a wall, Trump now asserts that migrants have already infiltrated the nation, threatening destruction from within. He leverages this narrative to support a second-term policy agenda that proposes the establishment of extensive detention facilities and mass deportations.
During a lengthy speech on Friday, Trump launched a broad attack against thousands of Venezuelan migrants residing in Aurora, stating he would invoke the Alien Enemies Act to target migrant gangs and criminal entities.
“Kamala [Harris] has imported an army of illegal alien gang members and migrant criminals from the dungeons of the third world … from prisons and jails and insane asylums and mental institutions, and she has had them resettled beautifully into your community to prey upon innocent American citizens,” he declared.
His rhetoric has taken a conspiratorial turn, exemplified by his propagation of false narratives, such as the claim that Haitian immigrants in Ohio are consuming pets. Since the presidential debate on September 10, Trump has increasingly employed dark and graphic imagery in his speeches about migrants, a shift noted in a review of over 20 campaign events. Experts in political rhetoric, fascism, and immigration suggest that this approach mirrors authoritarian and Nazi ideologies.
“He’s been taking Americans and his followers on a journey since really 2015—conditioning them … step by step instilling hatred in a group, and then escalating,” said Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a history professor at New York University who studies authoritarianism and fascism.
“So immigrants are crime. Immigrants are anarchy. They’re taking their jobs, but now they’re also animals who are going to kill us or eat our pets or eat us,” she added. “That’s how you get people to feel that whatever is done to them, as in mass deportation, rounding them up, putting them in camps, is OK.”
The Trump campaign responded by stating that while the “media obsesses over rhetoric,” the former president is simply addressing voters' concerns.
“The American people care about results that impact their lives. President Trump will take action to deport Kamala’s illegal immigrants and secure the border on day one. That’s what Americans want to hear,” said Trump press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
Historically, Trump has utilized racist attacks for political leverage, such as questioning former President Barack Obama's birthplace. In 2015, Trump infamously claimed that Mexico was “not sending its best,” branding certain immigrants as “rapists” who contribute to crime and drug problems, while promising to construct a “great big wall.”
However, the political landscape has shifted, with immigration becoming a more right-leaning issue, impacting even the Democratic Party and Trump’s rival, Vice President Kamala Harris, whose parents were immigrants from Jamaica and India. Trump has repeatedly disparaged Harris, labeling her as “dumb” and questioning her racial identity, while framing her as a “DEI” candidate, suggesting that she occupies her position due to quotas and preferential treatment.
In response to escalating concerns about illegal migration, Harris has emphasized her experience in prosecuting transnational gangs and human traffickers, promising strict enforcement at the Southern border, which seeks to placate public anxieties.
As the immigration dialogue has evolved, Trump has not only ramped up his rhetoric but also fine-tuned his policy proposals. He has specifically targeted various communities like Springfield, Ohio, Charleroi, Pennsylvania, and Aurora, claiming that immigrants are undermining American towns, using these assertions to advocate for a large-scale federal response. Despite local officials refuting his claims and calling for him to cease his attacks, Trump has heightened his criticisms during recent campaign appearances.
During his speech, Trump conjured false narratives about gang takeover in Aurora, announcing plans to remove migrants supposedly linked to gangs under an “Operation Aurora,” leveraging presidential war powers through the Alien Enemies Act.
“Efforts to blame outsiders, a politically voiceless group, which Trump is an expert at doing, has led to atrocities in the United States — everything from Japanese internment to Operation Wetback,” remarked Ediberto Román, a law professor at Florida International University focusing on xenophobia and immigration.
Vivid imagery, such as telling rally attendees that migrants might “cut your throat,” has become routine in Trump’s addresses. He frequently recounts stories of U.S. women and girls allegedly murdered by undocumented immigrants, despite evidence indicating that immigrants are statistically less likely to commit crimes than those born in the U.S.
Nevertheless, Trump insists that their nature makes them inherently worse, suggesting to predominantly white audiences that they possess “good genes.” His statements took a more explicit turn this week when he implied that non-white immigrants are genetically inferior, telling conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt that migrants have “bad genes.”
“What is so jarring to me is these are not just Nazi-like statements. These are actual Nazi sentiments,” argued Robert Jones, founder of the Public Religion Research Institute and author of “The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy.” He noted, “Hitler used the word vermin and rats multiple times in Mein Kampf to talk about Jews. These are not accidental or coincidental references. We have clear, 20th-century historical precedent with this kind of political language, and we see where it leads.”
Debra A Smith for TROIB News
His remarks in Aurora, which have become a focal point in his campaign as Election Day nears, exemplify the former president's intensifying xenophobic and racist rhetoric directed at migrants and minority groups, whom he claims are inherently predisposed to crime. This perception of migrants as a threat forms the backbone of Trump's closing argument, where he assures his supporters that he is the one who can protect the country from individuals he labels as “animals,” “stone cold killers,” and “the enemy from within.”
Beyond advocating for border security and a wall, Trump now asserts that migrants have already infiltrated the nation, threatening destruction from within. He leverages this narrative to support a second-term policy agenda that proposes the establishment of extensive detention facilities and mass deportations.
During a lengthy speech on Friday, Trump launched a broad attack against thousands of Venezuelan migrants residing in Aurora, stating he would invoke the Alien Enemies Act to target migrant gangs and criminal entities.
“Kamala [Harris] has imported an army of illegal alien gang members and migrant criminals from the dungeons of the third world … from prisons and jails and insane asylums and mental institutions, and she has had them resettled beautifully into your community to prey upon innocent American citizens,” he declared.
His rhetoric has taken a conspiratorial turn, exemplified by his propagation of false narratives, such as the claim that Haitian immigrants in Ohio are consuming pets. Since the presidential debate on September 10, Trump has increasingly employed dark and graphic imagery in his speeches about migrants, a shift noted in a review of over 20 campaign events. Experts in political rhetoric, fascism, and immigration suggest that this approach mirrors authoritarian and Nazi ideologies.
“He’s been taking Americans and his followers on a journey since really 2015—conditioning them … step by step instilling hatred in a group, and then escalating,” said Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a history professor at New York University who studies authoritarianism and fascism.
“So immigrants are crime. Immigrants are anarchy. They’re taking their jobs, but now they’re also animals who are going to kill us or eat our pets or eat us,” she added. “That’s how you get people to feel that whatever is done to them, as in mass deportation, rounding them up, putting them in camps, is OK.”
The Trump campaign responded by stating that while the “media obsesses over rhetoric,” the former president is simply addressing voters' concerns.
“The American people care about results that impact their lives. President Trump will take action to deport Kamala’s illegal immigrants and secure the border on day one. That’s what Americans want to hear,” said Trump press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
Historically, Trump has utilized racist attacks for political leverage, such as questioning former President Barack Obama's birthplace. In 2015, Trump infamously claimed that Mexico was “not sending its best,” branding certain immigrants as “rapists” who contribute to crime and drug problems, while promising to construct a “great big wall.”
However, the political landscape has shifted, with immigration becoming a more right-leaning issue, impacting even the Democratic Party and Trump’s rival, Vice President Kamala Harris, whose parents were immigrants from Jamaica and India. Trump has repeatedly disparaged Harris, labeling her as “dumb” and questioning her racial identity, while framing her as a “DEI” candidate, suggesting that she occupies her position due to quotas and preferential treatment.
In response to escalating concerns about illegal migration, Harris has emphasized her experience in prosecuting transnational gangs and human traffickers, promising strict enforcement at the Southern border, which seeks to placate public anxieties.
As the immigration dialogue has evolved, Trump has not only ramped up his rhetoric but also fine-tuned his policy proposals. He has specifically targeted various communities like Springfield, Ohio, Charleroi, Pennsylvania, and Aurora, claiming that immigrants are undermining American towns, using these assertions to advocate for a large-scale federal response. Despite local officials refuting his claims and calling for him to cease his attacks, Trump has heightened his criticisms during recent campaign appearances.
During his speech, Trump conjured false narratives about gang takeover in Aurora, announcing plans to remove migrants supposedly linked to gangs under an “Operation Aurora,” leveraging presidential war powers through the Alien Enemies Act.
“Efforts to blame outsiders, a politically voiceless group, which Trump is an expert at doing, has led to atrocities in the United States — everything from Japanese internment to Operation Wetback,” remarked Ediberto Román, a law professor at Florida International University focusing on xenophobia and immigration.
Vivid imagery, such as telling rally attendees that migrants might “cut your throat,” has become routine in Trump’s addresses. He frequently recounts stories of U.S. women and girls allegedly murdered by undocumented immigrants, despite evidence indicating that immigrants are statistically less likely to commit crimes than those born in the U.S.
Nevertheless, Trump insists that their nature makes them inherently worse, suggesting to predominantly white audiences that they possess “good genes.” His statements took a more explicit turn this week when he implied that non-white immigrants are genetically inferior, telling conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt that migrants have “bad genes.”
“What is so jarring to me is these are not just Nazi-like statements. These are actual Nazi sentiments,” argued Robert Jones, founder of the Public Religion Research Institute and author of “The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy.” He noted, “Hitler used the word vermin and rats multiple times in Mein Kampf to talk about Jews. These are not accidental or coincidental references. We have clear, 20th-century historical precedent with this kind of political language, and we see where it leads.”
Debra A Smith for TROIB News
