Campaigning in NC, Trump promises ‘largest domestic deportation operation’ in history
Campaigning in North Carolina just days before Super Tuesday, former President Donald Trump vowed to launch “the largest domestic deportation operation in American history” if he returns to the White House.
Addressing thousands of supporters in Greensboro on Saturday afternoon, Trump said the southern border was an “open and gushing wound” that has been “pouring drugs, gangs, terrorists, and millions and millions of illegal aliens into our country,” and promised to end what he said were the Biden administration’s “open border” policies on his first day in office.
Trump touted his own administration’s approach to curbing illegal immigration, praising policies of sending migrants seeking asylum to Mexico while they awaited their court dates and using existing laws to deny entry to migrants beginning at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“If you broke in, we caught you, we detained you, we deported you immediately, just like clockwork,” Trump said to cheering supporters.
Polling has shown that immigration is a top issue for voters this year, in some cases second only to the economy.
The Biden administration has blasted Republicans in Congress for rejecting a bipartisan border security bill that Trump came out against strongly. Trump and President Joe Biden were both in Texas on Thursday, visiting different areas along the border.
During his visit to Texas, Biden urged Trump to reconsider his stance on the border deal and join him in pressing Congress to pass it.
“You know and I know it’s the toughest, most efficient, most effective border security bill this country’s ever seen,” Biden said, according to NBC News. “So instead of playing politics with the issue, why don’t we just get together and get it done?”
Joining Trump at Saturday’s rally were several top surrogates for his campaign in North Carolina, including Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson and U.S. Sen. Ted Budd, who warmed up the crowd.
Trump endorsed Robinson for the first time in his campaign for governor. He also told his supporters to vote for several other candidates, including N.C. House Speaker Tim Moore, U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx and Addison McDowell in their bids for Congress and U.S. Rep. Dan Bishop in the race for state attorney general.
He also praised Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page, who is running for lieutenant governor, and Michael Whatley, who Trump endorsed last month to replace Ronna McDaniel, the outgoing chair of the Republican National Committee.
During his speech, Trump also addressed the multiple criminal trials he faces, calling himself a victim of political persecution and telling supporters that law enforcement agencies had been “weaponized.” He said it was critical that voters aren’t deprived of the opportunity to vote for him when they decide who the next president should be.
North Carolina is one of 15 states holding primaries on March 5, known as Super Tuesday. With a large number of delegates up for grabs, Super Tuesday is typically a turning point in the race to secure either major party’s presidential nomination. But this year, the primaries are only expected to confirm that Trump and Biden will face off against each other in November.
Trump spoke at the N.C. Republican Party convention last June, which took place days after he became the first president to face federal charges, for his handling of classified documents after he left office. Since then, Trump’s lead among GOP voters has only grown, causing all of his opponents but one to drop out.
Nikki Haley, the former U.N. ambassador — appointed by Trump — and governor of South Carolina, has remained in the race, despite losing all of the first five states in the nominating process to the former president.
Haley, who has won between 20% and 40% of the vote in each state, has vowed to stay in the race “as long as we’re competitive,” according to ABC News.
At a campaign event with supporters in Raleigh on Saturday, Haley said she was the best candidate to make the country “normal again” and told reporters that her biggest concern is that voters who don’t like Trump will sit out the election if he’s nominated, resulting in a second term for Biden.
This story was originally published March 2, 2024 at 3:04 PM with the headline "Campaigning in NC, Trump promises ‘largest domestic deportation operation’ in history."
