Trump rails on affordability ‘hoax’ and immigrants in rally-style speech | Donald Trump

Donald Trump tried to restart troubled US presidency a rally style event a series of false claims about the economy and xenophobic attacks on immigrants and “shithole countries.”

Following Republican election defeats and criticism that he was out of touch with America’s affordability crisis, Trump’s speech at the Mount Pocono casino in northeastern Pennsylvania on Tuesday was billed as an opportunity to reinvigorate the economic narrative.

But we were greeted with Lee Greenwood’s song God bless the USA and “USA! USA! USA!” After a chanting crowd, the president quickly returned to freewheeling campaign mode, frequently breaking away from his teleprompter for more than 90 minutes to hurl insults and call affordability a “hoax.”

“I have no higher priority than making America affordable again,” Trump said, in a rare moment of messaging discipline, beneath a blue sign that read “Lower prices, bigger paychecks.” He added: “That’s what we’ll do. They [Democrats] “It’s caused prices to go up, and we’re bringing them down.”

Trump, praised in cabinet meetings, was condemned for becoming increasingly distant from the problems of ordinary Americans. It has held only five rallies this year and none since July; He concentrated his travel on foreign trips and his own luxury golf courses.

The president has claimed he bears no responsibility for inflation, often calling concerns about prices a “hoax” and a “scam.” In an interview published on the Politico news site on Tuesday, Trump was asked what grade he would give to the economy. “A-plus-plus-plus-plus,” he replied.

Just as Biden embarked on ill-fated national tours to promote “Bidenomics” and insist that the economy was improving despite people struggling to make ends meet, now Trump is making a belated attempt to regain confidence on this issue.

On Tuesday, it was called “auto-open!” There were familiar elements of the rally, such as a sarcastic impression of Biden that prompted shouting. the crowd’s boasts about the “braid” as he recounted his zig-zagging speeches, and complaints that the media never mentioned the southern border because he had secured it.

Trump also launched a racist attack against Minnesota Democratic congresswoman Ilhan Omar, a Somali-born Muslim. He said: “Ilhan Ömer, whatever his name is. With his little turban. I love him. He comes in and does nothing but whore. He complains all the time.”

Trump said: “We’ve got to get him out of here! He married his brother… That’s why he’s here illegally.” The crowd chanted, “Send him back!” he chanted.

Omar fled the civil war as a young child, came to the United States as a refugee, and became a U.S. citizen in 2000. claim She said she had long married her brother, whom she described as “completely fake and ridiculous.”

Speaking about immigration, Trump referenced “repatriation,” a term coined by European white nationalists who called for “reverse migration” of immigrants. “For the first time in 50 years, we are facing reverse immigration, which means more jobs, better wages and higher incomes for American citizens, not illegal aliens.”

Trump then appeared to confirm a story from his first term – previously denied – that he referred to Haiti and African countries as “shithole countries.” Recalling a meeting with senators at the time, he said: “We had a meeting and I said, ‘Why do we only take people from shithole countries, right?

“‘We can’t get people from Norway, Sweden, just a few. Let us get some. From Denmark… send us some good people. Do you mind? But we always get people from Somalia, places that are disasters, right? Dirty, dirty, disgusting, full of crime. The only thing they’re good for is going after ships.”

But the main focus of the speech was the cost of living, which Trump has threatened to drive down for Republicans next year. Only 33 percent of U.S. adults approve of how he is handling the economy, according to a November poll by The Associated Press-Norc Center for Public Affairs Research.

The president has repeatedly blamed Biden for inflation, even though his own aggressive tariff practices have pushed up fixed prices. Inflation began to accelerate after Trump announced sweeping “liberation day” tariffs in April.

In an attempt to correct course, Trump lowered tariffs on products such as coffee, beef and tropical fruits, acknowledging that they contributed to higher prices “in some cases.” This week it announced A $12 billion rescue package for farmers affected by the trade war between the United States and its major trading partners, especially China.

Trump continued to defend the tariffs by making a number of baseless claims. “We made hundreds of billions, literally trillions of dollars,” he said in his speech.

“And if you add to that all the companies that are spending their money right now to build factories in Pennsylvania and many other states – auto factories, AI factories, factories of all kinds that we never would have had if we didn’t impose tariffs. Do you see where Europe is now saying, ‘I think we’re going to start doing what Trump did. We’re going to start imposing tariffs too because we’re going to get our asses kicked’? And that’s true.”.”

Trump insisted: “Prices are falling tremendously from the highest prices in the history of our country.” In fact, prices have increased under Trump. The consumer price index shows that average prices in September were 1.7% higher than in January. And in September this year, overall prices were 3% higher compared to September 2024.

The president has also repeatedly tried to shift responsibility for the affordability crisis to his predecessor, displaying a series of charts showing prices, mortgage rates and real wages. Trump said: “They gave you high prices. They gave you the highest inflation in history, and we’re giving you… We’re bringing those prices down fast.”” Although the inflation rate rose under Biden, it fell to 3% by the end of his term.

Trump ended the event the same way he had before: remaining on stage as Village People’s YMCA played, pointing at people in the crowd and briefly waving his arms, a dance move that has become his signature. There is, of course, much more to come before the midterms.

Trump noted that his chief of staff, Susie Wiles, recently told him: “We’ve got to start campaigning, sir… We’ve got to win the midterms, and you’re the one to take us on in the midterms.”

At one point the crowd chanted “four more years!” He started shouting slogans. For Trump himself, even though he is constitutionally barred from running for a third term in 2028. Well, do you know?” he said. “We have three years and two months ahead of us and do you know what that is? “In Trump’s time, three years and two months were called eternity.”

Democrats in Pennsylvania briefly suspended Trump’s visit. Democratic state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta said last week: “I already knew Donald Trump was a liar, corrupt and incompetent, but there were a lot of people who went into this election with real hope that Donald Trump would cut costs. Now they’re saying affordability is a scam. They thought Donald Trump would save us from foreign wars and unrest. Now he’s looking at invading Venezuela.”