PRAIRIE du CHIEN — Former President Donald Trump called Dem rival Kamala Harris “mentally impaired” as he slammed the vice president for thousands of people convicted of crimes who are now in the country illegally.
Trump focused some of his remarks on new data ICE provided to Congress this week that more than 425,000 migrants with criminal convictions have been released into the U.S., including more than 13,000 convicted of murder. He charged Harris set them loose to “rape, pillage, thieve, plunder and kill the people of the United States of America.
“Joe Biden became mentally impaired. Kamala was born that way. She was born that way,” Trump said, drawing laughs and cheers. “And if you think about it, only a mentally disabled person would’ve allowed this to happen to our country.”
Trump stopped in this western Wisconsin town that was pulled into the national debate over illegal immigration earlier this month after a noncitizen was arrested there.
Alejandro Jose Coronel Zarate of Venezuela, 26, faces charges of domestic disorderly conduct, two counts of domestic battery, strangulation/suffocation, physical abuse to a child, disorderly conduct and two counts of second degree sexual assault.
According to Prairie du Chien police, Zarate is suspected to be affiliated with Tren de Aragua, a criminal organization based in Venezuela.
Trump was flanked on the stage by pictures of those in the U.S. illegally who have committed crimes, as well as a sign that read, “Deport Illegals Now.”
Trump referred to Zarate as a “vile monster” as he recounted the charges against him.
“This animal crossed Kamala’s wide open border along with hundreds of thousands of others who are worse than him,” Trump said.
Ahead of Trump’s stop, state Dem Party spokesperson Kristi Johnston slammed the former president, saying his efforts to tank bipartisan legislation meant to strengthen the country’s southern border shows he “doesn’t care about securing the border and fixing our broken immigration system.” She vowed Harris would sign the immigration bill.
“There’s only one candidate with a proven record of taking on transnational gangs and drug traffickers, and that’s Vice President Harris,” Johnston said. “As vice president, she’s championed commonsense border security measures, and border crossings have plummeted to a four-year low.”
Trump’s 75-minute speech largely focused on immigration as he warned the crowd that the people coming into the country illegally make American criminals look like “babies” and will break into their homes before doing “anything they want.”
Trump alternated between reading off a teleprompter and going on riffs. At one point, he told the crowd sarcastically it was a “wonderful and inspiring speech.” He acknowledged those in attendance likely wanted to hear more about making America great, but he only heard yesterday about those here illegally with criminal records and, “This is a dark speech.”
The stop was Trump’s second to western Wisconsin since the Republican National Convention in July, and he hit the 3rd Congressional District that he won in both 2020 and 2016. It also comes ahead of Trump returning to Wisconsin on Tuesday for stops in Waunakee — part of deep blue Dane County — and Milwaukee.
Trump highlighted other incidents in Wisconsin of those in the U.S. illegally being arrested for crimes. He first mispronounced Wausau as Washaw and marveled at the correct pronunciation for cities such as Fond du Lac.
He took a series of personal shots at Harris, mocking her claims that she worked at McDonalds while calling her “sick” and a “liar” then complaining that he “had to listen to her bullshit last night” after the vice president’s visit to the southern border.
Throughout the speech, he repeatedly warned that those in the U.S. illegally will overwhelm small communities such as Prairie du Chien and change their very fabric.
“You’ve got to do what you’ve got to do,” Trump implored the crowd. “You have to get these people back where they came from.”
