Former President Donald Trump is planning to visit Wisconsin and Michigan to criticize President Joe Biden’s handling of the US-Mexico border, a topic that has become a major concern for many voters. Trump’s campaign believes he has an advantage over Biden on immigration issues, with polls showing that illegal border crossings have reached record highs, leading to increased concerns among the public.
During his upcoming visits, Trump is expected to talk about high-profile cases of crimes committed by immigrants in the US illegally, such as the recent killing of Ruby Garcia in Michigan. Garcia was found dead on the side of a Grand Rapids highway, and the suspect, Brandon Ortiz Vite, a citizen of Mexico, had been previously deported following a drunk driving arrest. Trump’s campaign spokeswoman described the situation as evidence that under Biden’s leadership, every state has become a border state, leading to chaos and violence.
Crime statistics from the FBI show that overall violent crime in the US dropped last year, continuing a downward trend, including in Michigan where crime hit a three-year low in 2022. Despite the decline in crime rates, Trump and his supporters are focusing on specific cases to highlight their concerns about immigration and border security, as they prepare for the 2024 presidential election.
Biden’s campaign has preemptively accused Trump of politicizing tragedies and spreading hate to divert attention from his own record. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, acknowledged the challenges at the southern border and criticized Trump for walking away from bipartisan solutions that could have helped address the issue. This political back-and-forth highlights the ongoing debate between Republicans and Democrats on how to address immigration policies and border security.
In addition to discussing immigration issues, Trump has been using inflammatory rhetoric to criticize Biden’s presidency, accusing him of trying to overthrow the US government. He has painted migrants as a threat to the country and claimed that they are being sent to the US from other countries. With the 2024 election approaching, Republicans in critical battleground states like Michigan and Wisconsin are ramping up their efforts to compete organizationally with Democrats, who have been making significant gains.
Both Republicans and Democrats in Michigan and Wisconsin are gearing up for a highly competitive election cycle, with contentious debates over issues like immigration, border security, and economic recovery. The upcoming visits by Trump to these states are expected to intensify the political atmosphere and set the tone for the coming months as both parties vie for voter support in the run-up to the 2024 presidential election.
