Former President Donald Trump adopted a more cordial approach to engage Latino voters during a town hall event on Wednesday. During the event, he emphasized his economic achievements but continued to assert unfounded claims regarding Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio. The town hall, organized by Univision, took place amid efforts from both major political campaigns to attract Latino voters, who are anticipated to represent as much as 15% of eligible voters and could be decisive in key swing states like Arizona and Nevada.
Throughout the one-hour event, Trump predominantly focused on appealing to the Spanish-speaking audience by highlighting economic progress during his presidency, including job opportunities at his golf course in Doral, Florida, located near the town hall site. However, he faced questioning from participants regarding his immigration policies and the thwarting of a bipartisan proposal that aimed to strengthen asylum regulations.
In response to an inquiry from a California farmer, Jorge Velázquez, about who would handle farm labor if millions of undocumented migrants were deported, Trump directed the conversation toward criminal activities attributed to individuals in the country unlawfully. He stated, “We want workers and we want them to come in, but they have to come in legally. They have to love our country. They have to love you, love our people.”
Trump reiterated misleading assertions that the Biden administration had permitted “hundreds of thousands of people” with criminal backgrounds into the United States. However, he did not address how the absence of farm workers might impact food prices.
He also encountered questions about the failed bipartisan border legislation, allegedly due to his intervention. The individual posing the question, from the Chicago suburbs, expressed concern about the daily impacts of migration.
Despite traditionally favoring Democrats, the Latino demographic has shown increasing support for Trump’s economic agenda. Nevertheless, skepticism persists among many Latino voters. Another audience member, identifying as a Republican, expressed unease over the events of January 6 and sought reassurance from Trump. Trump characterized the incident at the U.S. Capitol as a ‘day of love,’ attributing the crowd’s presence to the election rather than to himself.
Additionally, Trump was questioned on whether he believed the invalidated claim that Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, had been consuming the pets of their neighbors. He responded by stating, “This was just reported. I was just saying what was reported. 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.”
The event occurred shortly after Trump’s Democratic contender, Vice President Kamala Harris, participated in her own town hall with Univision. While Democrats are generally expected to secure the Latino vote, polls indicate that Trump has made gains, narrowing the Democratic Party’s longstanding lead.
