Former President Donald Trump tried a friendlier pitch to Latino voters during a town hall Wednesday, during which he touted his record on the economy, yet would not back off false claims that Haitian migrants were eating cats and dogs in Springfield, Ohio.
The town hall, hosted by Univision, aired as both campaigns have been working to court the Latino vote — a demographic that is expected to make up as much as 15% of eligible voters and could play a pivotal role in key swing states like Arizona and Nevada.
Over the course of the roughly hour-long event, Trump largely made an economic pitch to the Spanish-speaking audience, arguing that Latinos were better off when he was president. He spoke about the jobs he’s provided, including at his golf course in Doral, Fla., not far from where the town hall was being conducted.
But Trump was also pressed by attendees about his plans for immigration and why he sabotaged a bipartisan plan that would have toughened asylum rules.
At one point, Trump was asked by a California farmer named Jorge Velázquez about who would do farm work if Trump made good on his promise to deport millions of undocumented migrants.
Trump deflected to focus on crimes committed by people in the country illegally instead.
“So we want workers and we want them to come in, but they have to come in legally,” Trump said. “They have to love our country. They have to love you, love our people.”
Trump repeated false claims that the Biden administration released “hundreds of thousands of people” who are murderers and drug dealers and terrorists into the U.S.
But he failed to address the second part of the question, asking how much food would cost without farm workers.
He was also asked about a bipartisan border bill that Congress failed to pass after Trump reportedly intervened. The woman who asked the question explained that, as a resident of the Chicago suburbs, “daily I see the consequences of the migration flow.”
Trump is winning over more Latino voters
Latinos have long reliably voted for Democrats, but Trump has grown his support with his economic message.
Despite the inroads, he continues to face doubts among many Latino voters. In one exchange, an audience member who identified himself as a Republican said he was alarmed by what took place on Jan. 6, and wanted to give Trump an opportunity to try to win back his vote.
Trump responded by describing the attack on the U.S. Capitol by a mob of supporters as a “day of love,” and said that the crowds “didn’t come because of me, they came because of the election.”
At another point, Trump was asked if he actually believed the false claim that Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, had been eating the pets of their neighbors — a claim that has been debunked by local leaders.
“This was just reported. I was just saying what was reported,” Trump said. “I’m going to be there and we’re going to take a look and I’ll give you a full report when I do.”
Wednesday’s program came less than a week after Trump’s Democratic opponent, Vice President Harris, participated in her own town hall with Univision. Democrats are expected to win the Latino vote, but polls show Trump has been able to cut into the Democratic Party’s historic advantage.
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