ANALYSIS — Thousands of Trump rally attendees turned their heads up to a jumbo screen to watch a campaign video calling out immigration under the Biden-Harris administration.
In a ballroom at Mar-a-Lago during former President Donald Trump’s remarks to the press Tuesday, an emotional ad played on a TV screen detailing the death of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray. Two undocumented Venezuelan men have been accused of her murder and are in custody. Her mother, Alexis, has appeared at multiple Trump campaign events detailing her daughter’s story and calling for stricter immigration laws.
“I think what’s happening on the border is the single biggest issue, and I’m seeing it more and more,” Trump said during Tuesday’s remarks.
These videos have been played during nearly all of Trump’s recent campaign events, as he’s focused on immigration for his closing argument.
A Roll Call Factba.se analysis of Trump’s transcripts found that since Oct. 20, Trump has mentioned the terms “border,” “migrant” and “immigration” in total around 100 times more than he has used the words “economy,” “inflation,” “prices” and “costs.”
Trump most frequently uses “border” to describe immigration on the campaign trail. He uses the word at least once in nearly every appearance and interview.
His remarks to the press on Tuesday started like many of his speeches: with criticism of Vice President Kamala Harris and immigration. On the campaign trail, Trump often finds a way to tie illegal immigration to other topics such as the economy and his criticism of transgender people.
An audience member at the National Faith Summit in Powder Springs, Ga., on Monday asked Trump a question about men playing in women’s sports. He finished his answer with a complaint about the border.
“I’ll give you another example. Who would want open borders where prisoners from all over the world are allowed to come into our country?” Trump said at the event Monday.
The former president has also started to bring up enforcing the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. Trump said he will use the law to deport undocumented immigrants who are part of gangs or drug cartels if he’s elected president. Trump has mentioned the act at least 19 times since the start of October, according to a Roll Call Factba.se analysis.
The Alien Enemies Act is a wartime authority law that grants the president authority to deport noncitizens from countries considered a “hostile nation or government.” It has been invoked during the War of 1812, World War I and World War II and was used to detain Japanese American citizens in internment camps during World War II.
“I will invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. We have to go back that far. Think of that. Because that’s when they ran the country a little tougher to target and dismantle every migrant criminal network operating on American soil,” Trump said during a rally in State College, Pa., on Saturday.
This week Trump also announced a new policy that would seize the assets of gangs if he becomes president. The proposal would then use those assets to pay for a compensation fund for victims.
One of Trump’s most common lines during his recent stump speeches is connecting the economy and immigration.
“The economy, which I think is basically a part of inflation, is rated No. 1 in terms of the most important thing that people vote for. No. 3 is the border. I disagree. I think the border is actually No. 1,” Trump said during a rally in Novi, Mich., on Saturday.
You can search and view all of Trump’s transcripts from his public appearances on Roll Call Factba.se.
Alex Angle is a Roll Call Factba.se presidential campaign research fellow.
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