Trump Speaks in the Golden State, SLAMS Newsom, Harris on the Economy and Illegal Immigration

Donald Trump spoke Saturday evening in Coachella, California, at one of his trademark rallies, and in his usual inimitable style, brought the thunder on not only Vice President Kamala Harris but also California's Governor Gavin Newsom. And, again in his usual style, he rained down some well-deserved criticism of them both on two issues: California's economic woes and illegal immigration.

The former (and, with any luck, future) President Trump started things off with a critique of how things stand in the once-Golden State's economy.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: "The radical left Democrats have destroyed this state but we are going to save it and make it better than every before -- You had somebody here who was horrible, Kamala, and now she wants to destroy our country." pic.twitter.com/z14zrthROd
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) October 13, 2024

Trump said:

The radical left Democrats have destroyed this state, but we are going to save it, and we are going to make it better than ever before. Yet I've come here today not only to talk about California where you have one of the worst governors in the country, Gavin Newscum. (Boos from the crowd) Gavin Newscum! What you definitely had somebody here that was horrible. Kamala, Kamala. Now she wants to, she wants to destroy our country. We're not going to let her destroy our country like she did San Francisco, right?

Trump went on to claim that the electorate will prevent that - by "voting Trump," and claimed, "We will bring it back, it will happen fast." There is the matter of California's super-majority state legislature, which he didn't bring up, but Trump wasn't done yet.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: We are NOT going to let Kamala Harris do to America what she did to California! pic.twitter.com/mdRcDDc9D1
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) October 13, 2024

Today California has the highest inflation, the highest taxes, the highest gas prices, the highest cost of living, the most regulations, the most expensive utilities, the most homelessness, the most crime, the most decay, and the most illegal aliens. Other than that, I think you're doing quite well, actually.

The illegal alien issue is one that Trump has been hitting hard at all of his rallies and in his campaign statements. That's appropriate; The economy/inflation and illegal immigration are among the top issues for right-leaning voters in this election.

On that note as well, Trump had some harsh words for VP Harris:

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Kamala has imported an ARMY of illegal alien gang members and migrant criminals from the dungeons of the Third World.

If Kamala gets 4 more years, the entire country will become like the migrant camps of L.A. and San Francisco. pic.twitter.com/zzotP0aYgU
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) October 13, 2024

She has imported an army of illegal alien gang members and migrant criminals from the dungeons of the Third World, they come from the dungeons of the Third World, many, many are prisoners, some had death sentences, they were going to be executed for murder. But they're now living happily in California and many other places in our country.

The number of illegal immigrants under sentence of death in their countries of origin is unclear, but in September, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spokesman gave some disturbing numbers:

ICE Deputy Director Patrick Lechleitner sent a letter Wednesday to U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, saying as of July 21, there were 662,566 noncitizens with criminal histories on the agency’s non-detained docket (NDD), meaning they are not detained while they await immigration proceedings.

Finally, he spoke directly as to Harris's fitness, based on the immigration issue:

PRESIDENT TRUMP: "My message to the American People is very simple. No person who has inflicted the violence and terror that Border Czar Harris has unleashed on our country can EVER be allowed to become the President of the United States." pic.twitter.com/j6Wbp2Ytcg
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) October 13, 2024

My message to the American people is very simple. No person who has inflicted the violence and terror that border czar Harris has unleashed on our country can ever be allowed to become President of the United States.

Immigration and the economy, as noted above, are two of the key issues of this election. They are likely to be issues that will resonate with independent and moderate voters (the two are not necessarily the same.) And they are issues where the Trump campaign shows some very clear, undeniable contrasts with the Harris/Biden administration. Since 2021, millions have entered the country illegally, and in many cases, we have little idea where they are going or what they intend to do when they get there. In his Coachella address, Trump laid out those differences - and will no doubt have the Harris/Walz campaign engaged in damage control in California for some days to come.