Trump brings out false election claims as he honors ‘angel families’ to rally his anti-migrant agenda

President Trump lashed retired astatine Democrats pinch mendacious claims of predetermination fraud and accused overseas nations of sending undesirable group to nan United States arsenic he signed a proclamation honoring nan families of Americans killed by immigrants by declaring Monday ‘Angel Family Day’ successful an effort to rally his anti-immigrant guidelines and revive nationalist support for his profoundly unpopular migration crackdown.

Trump, who mislaid nan 2020 predetermination to Joe Biden, stood successful nan East Room and claimed his nonaccomplishment was nan result of that year’s title being “run by crooked people” arsenic he linked Biden’s triumph to nan deaths of assemblage members’ loved ones.

“Every 1 of your loved ones would beryllium live today, everyone successful this room. I deliberation each possibly there's 1 wherever could person sneaked done during our term, but I don't deliberation so,” he said.

He besides accused Democrats of being “professional cheaters” and compared his 2020 nonaccomplishment to nan suffering of crime victims’ families, telling attendees: “We've suffered done it together.”

“I suffer for nan country,” he said.

Trump claimed that nan Biden management had allowed “25 cardinal group ... to travel into our state wholly unchecked, wholly unvetted.”

“They destroyed your lives,” he added.

Trump besides invited respective members of alleged “Angel Families” to speak, pinch immoderate offering effusive praise arsenic they each thanked him for his hardline anti-immigrant policies. The families each mislaid loved ones allegedly astatine nan hands of migrants who had been successful problem pinch rule enforcement previously.

Steve Ronnebeck, whose boy Grant was killed while moving down nan antagonistic of a convenience shop successful Arizona, many times professed “love” for some nan state and nan president arsenic he declared that their guidance to migration is based connected nan desire to forestall crime alternatively than racism.

“Americans are not racist. We're not xenophobic because we want to a safe America and we want to put Americans first. This man [Trump] is not racist because he wants to put Americans first,” he said.

“I emotion America. I emotion Donald Trump, I emotion my family, and by gosh, I emotion America,” he added earlier turning to Trump and calling him “the man.”

For his part, Trump claimed to beryllium “defending American lives” and “for each angel family” pinch his policies, which according to caller polls are opposed by progressively ample majorities of Americans successful nan aftermath of nan shooting deaths of 2 protesters successful Minneapolis successful caller weeks.

Trump besides suggested — without offering grounds — that migration to nan United States during nan past management was driven by overseas leaders deliberately “sending” criminals and mentally sick group to transverse into nan U.S.

“If you're moving a country, you want to nonstop your bad group out. That was nan measurement I looked astatine it,” he said.

The president’s anti-immigration proclamation comes a time earlier he delivers his State of nan Union address, wherever he is erstwhile again expected to reside nan separator and his ongoing scheme to footwear undocumented migrants from nan country.

Trump told attendees successful nan East Room that nan state is “doing good now” and suggested he’d usage nan primetime reside to boast astir nan system moreover though galore Americans are unsatisfied pinch his capacity connected that rumor frankincense far.

“We person nan top system we've ever had. We person nan astir activity we've ever had. I'm making a reside tomorrow night, and you'll beryllium proceeding maine opportunity that. I mean, it's, it's going to beryllium a agelong speech, because we person truthful overmuch to talk about,” he said.

The day of today’s arena was chosen successful representation of Laken Riley, a 22-year-old assemblage student murdered by an undocumented migrant connected February 22, 2024.

Trump and Republicans person agelong utilized Riley’s decease to thrust location their connection astir nan expected dangers posed by unchecked immigration. The Laken Riley Act was nan first measure signed by nan president during his 2nd term, requiring nan Department of Homeland Security to detain “non-U.S. nationals” who person been arrested for burglary, theft, larceny aliases shoplifting.

Then-Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene attended then-President Joe Biden’s last State of nan Union reside successful 2024 wearing a reddish MAGA chapeau and a garment that said "Say Her Name," referencing nan 22-year-old nursing student.

Riley’s mother, Allyson Phillips, who attended Trump’s State of nan Union reside past year, was successful attendance successful nan East Room Monday and thanked Trump for his hardline migration policies.

“You are doing a thankless occupation that astir group conscionable wouldn't do, and I conscionable can't convey you enough,” she said.

Also successful attendance was Patty Morin, nan mother of Rachel Morin, who was killed by an undocumented El Salvadoran man while hiking successful 2023; and Tammy Nobles, nan mother of Kayla Hamilton, who was raped and murdered by an El Salvadoran teen successful 2022.

“President Trump is proud to person delivered accountability for Angel Families by ushering successful nan astir unafraid separator successful history, deporting nan criminal forbidden aliens fto into our state by anterior Administrations, and upholding nan norm of rule by powerfully enforcing our migration laws,” White House property caput Karoline Leavitt told nan newspaper successful a statement.

“The first measure President Trump signed into rule was nan Laken Riley Act to forestall these senseless tragedies from happening again and to support guiltless American citizens safe. The president and our federation will subordinate Angel Families successful honoring nan representation of these astonishing men and women.”

The president has many times turned to crimes committed by undocumented migrants to warrant and deflect from his immigration crackdown, which has caused chaos arsenic national officers effort to detain anyone they fishy whitethorn not person ineligible status.

However, successful their attempts to safeguard nan nation, those national officers person themselves caused aggregate injuries and deaths, pinch American citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti gunned down by migration enforcers during protests successful Minneapolis.

Last week, it was revealed that months earlier, different American citizen, Ruben Ray Martinez, had been changeable dormant by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers during a traffic extremity successful Texas.

Support for President Trump’s migration argumentation has collapsed successful caller months, pinch figures from past Tuesday’s Reuters/Ipsos canvass showing only a 3rd of Americans deliberation he’s handling it well.

That polling was successful statement pinch different results, including a February Quinnipiac survey, successful which 63 per cent of American voters disapproved of nan measurement ICE was enforcing migration laws, while conscionable 34 per cent approved.

Almost three-quarters of Americans want to spot ICE either reformed aliases abolished, according to further polling from nan NBC News Decision Desk earlier this month.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Border Czar Tom Homan, 2 apical enforcers of nan migration crackdown, were besides successful attendance astatine nan White House connected Monday.