In Las Vegas over the weekend, former President Donald Trump had nothing but props for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. The Governor stood his ground against the Biden administration, refusing to let them tear down razor wire in a high-traffic area for migrants making the illegal trek into the U.S. This tiff has blown up into a full-on clash over immigration.
Trump, speaking passionately about border security to a crowd in Vegas, insisted that Texas deserves our full support in its efforts to discourage migrants along the U.S.-Mexico border. He commended the state's move to restrict the U.S. Border Patrol following the Supreme Court's green light for these agents to dismantle the sharp metal barrier.
“If I’m back in the Oval Office, Texas won’t be getting a restraining order; they'll be getting reinforcements,” Trump declared to his enthusiastic supporters on an indoor soccer field in a predominantly Latino neighborhood.
The former president steered clear of a recent jury verdict in a defamation case that hit him with an additional $83.3 million fine for calling columnist E. Jean Carroll a liar. Trump, edging closer to clinching the Republican presidential nomination, painted himself as the target of a Biden administration out to weaponize law enforcement against him, facing a laundry list of 91 criminal charges in four indictments.
“They're doing everything to bring me down, but we keep moving forward,” he asserted, emphasizing the resilience of his camp despite the legal battles.
Amidst all the legal drama, Annabelle Weislocher, a retired nurse and military veteran, believes these cases are just attempts to weaken Trump and drain his resources. “They know he’s leading. They know he’s strong,” she said. “That’s the goal — take his money, thinking he won’t have enough funds to campaign.”
Trump, well-aware of the growing support he's gaining among Hispanics, particularly since 2016, highlighted his standing with this voter demographic. He claimed he's doing exceptionally well, stressing the impact of migrant arrivals on Hispanic and Black families. The ex-President slammed Biden for lifting restrictions that were implemented during his administration to curb migration.
“I’ll get it solved, and I’ll start the process on day one,” Trump asserted confidently, vowing to secure a record share of Latino votes.
With immigration taking center stage, Trump capitalized on the historic influx of migrants during Biden's term, making it a focal point of his reelection campaign. At the recent Iowa Republican caucuses, where Trump emerged victorious, building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border was a resounding sentiment, according to an AP VoteCast survey.
Rob Williams, a 25-year-old attendee at the Las Vegas rally, voiced his approval for Texas standing up to the Biden administration. “The good Texan people are stepping up to the plate, other states as well," he said. "They’re going to show the fight over there in Texas.”
As Trump faces minimal opposition in Nevada, where the state GOP decided on a party-run caucus to maximize his delegate count, some voters are grappling with confusion due to mail ballots lacking Trump’s name. The former President urged them to focus on the caucus, insisting, “Your primary vote doesn’t mean anything. Don’t worry about the primary; just do the caucus.”
Trump's sole major GOP rival, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, competes in the primary but skips the caucus, rendering her ineligible for delegates at the Republican National Convention.
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