SIERRA VISTA, Arizona — Donald Trump traveled to the shrub-dotted hills of Arizona near the U.S.-Mexico border to campaign Thursday on immigration, his signature issue since launching his successful presidential bid nine years ago.
The visit was the fourth in a series of events held in battleground states this week while Democrats have celebrated Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential nomination in Chicago. The Trump campaign placed a lectern with a sign that said “the southern border” on a dirt road between a border wall and piles of steel beams.
The theme of Thursday’s visit was “Make America Safe Again,” and Trump met with people whose relatives were allegedly attacked or slain by immigrants who arrived in the country illegally during the Biden administration. Nearby, snipers stood at an elevated position, their eyes and weapons pointed toward Mexico.
On Wednesday, the GOP nominee held his first outdoor rally since an assassination attempt, speaking to supporters while surrounded by bulletproof glass.
Trump and his Republican allies are criticizing Harris and other Democrats for spending more time talking about him this week at the Democratic National Convention than talking about issues like the border and immigration.
“It’s like they’re having a party. They don’t mention the border. All they do is make up lies about me,” Trump complained, as he called into “Fox & Friends” Thursday morning.
Some speakers at the convention on Wednesday accused Trump of using the border to stir up his base. They argued that Democrats are the ones offering “real leadership” while Trump demonizes immigrants.
“When it comes to the border, hear me when I say, ‘You know nothing, Donald Trump,’ ” said U.S. Representative Veronica Escobar, who represents the border city of El Paso, Texas. “He and his Republican imitators see the border and immigration as a political opportunity to exploit instead of an issue to address.”
U.S. Democratic Senator Chris Murphy spoke after a video played showing Republican opposition to a bipartisan border deal earlier this year. Murphy was the top Democrat negotiating the proposal with conservative senators and said the bill would have had unanimous support if it weren’t for Trump.
Earlier in the week, Trump traveled to Pennsylvania, Michigan and North Carolina, and he’ll hold events in Las Vegas and the Phoenix suburb of Glendale on Friday. His running mate, Senator JD Vance, spoke at the same location near the border a few weeks ago.
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