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In defiance of Republican advice to tone down his rhetoric, Donald Trump electrified crowds in Las Vegas and Phoenix Saturday afternoon in speeches some described as “bizarrely captivating.”
The business tycoon repeated themes at both venues — Obama’s weakness, “stupid” leaders, the “pourous” southern border, Benghazi and his own business successes. But the primary focus of his speeches was illegal immigration, and he railed against the Mexican government for intentionally sending illegal immigrants to the U.S.
“The word is getting out that we have to stop illegal immigration,” he said. “We have a situation that is absolutely out of control.”
“We’re getting ripped,” Trump added. “We’re getting taken apart piece-by-piece slowly.”
With a degree of showmanship seldom seen in professional politicians, Trump refused to back down from his comments about the danger of undocumented immigrants. “They’re sending us their problems,” Trump said, referring to Mexico, and postulated that protesters and critics were being sent by the government of Mexico to oppose him.
“You can’t be great if you don’t have a border, no matter what you do,” Trump said at the annual FreedomFest conference in Las Vegas.
“And you can’t be great if China is taking all your jobs,” he added.
To the Phoenix crowd, Trump announced his plan to charge Mexico $100,000 for every illegal sent to the U.S.
In a related what-I-would-do scenario, Trump described the arm twisting he would do to U.S. automakers who move their manufacturing facilities south of the border and promising a 35 percent tariff on every vehicle they imported into the U.S.
“Don’t worry, we’ll take our country back,” he said.
Right-leaning campaign strategist Liz Mair and the Potomac Group’s Greg Valliere both told Business Insider last week that “Trump appealed to a part of the electorate that appreciates the real-estate mogul’s willingness to say what other candidates would not.”
“Though many pollsters and analysts have been quick to write off Trump’s campaign, his speech on Saturday played to what primary voters love about Trump: his candor, bombast, and unwillingness to concede defeat,” noted Business Insider.
Unwilling to call the politicians he criticized “bad,” Trump dismissed them as “stupid” and “incompetent.” Noting the Obama administration’s exchange of five top Taliban commanders for U.S. soldier Bowe Bergdahl — whom Trump called a deserter — Trump asked, “Who makes a deal like that?”
Trump blamed America’s troubles abroad — Russia, China, ISIS — to the fact other countries no longer respect America and President Obama in particular.
“We have incompetent politicians and not just the president,” Trump said of Obama.
“Right here, in your own state, you have John McCain,” he said of Arizona’s Republican senator.
“I just hate to see that people don’t have common sense,” Trump added.
“I think we would get along very, very well” with Putin, he said.
Trump blasted President Obama’s signature health-care legislation, noting premiums and deductibles for users of the program “are going through the roof.”
“We have to repeal and replace ObamaCare,” he said. “We have got to take care of everybody. I love you conservatives, but we have to.”
Trump also vowed to destroy ISIS, noting that he warned in 2003 against an invasion of Iraq because something worse would replace Saddam Hussein.
“They make Saddam Hussein look like choir boys,” he said of ISIS. “I would take them out so fast. ISIS will be in so much trouble.”
Trump currently leads the Republican field in several polls taken of likely GOP primary voters in key primary states like North Carolina. According to Public Policy Polling, Trump has a slight lead over former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) with 16% of Republican primary voters supporting the real-estate magnate.
Trump has come under fire for his anti-Mexican comments made at his campaign launch last month.
“They’re sending people who have a lot of problems. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people,” he said at the time.
