Donald Trump has warned of a "bloody" removal of "millions" of illegal immigrants from the U.S. if he returns to the presidency, while also threatening to prosecute and jail those who challenge his potential re-election in November.
In increasingly erratic speeches on the campaign trail, Trump has painted apocalyptic scenarios of internment camps and mass deportations. He told his supporters that these "invaders" would take over their homes, likening the future U.S. to "Venezuela on steroids."
"Getting them out will be a bloody story," Trump declared at a MAGA rally in Wisconsin during a 100-minute speech, where he claimed, without evidence, that 100 million illegal immigrants would enter the U.S. if Kamala Harris became president, leading to a 30% population increase.
Credible organizations like the Pew Research Center and the Center for Immigration Studies estimate the number of unauthorized immigrants in the U.S. at around 11 to 12 million. Even the more extreme estimates, such as the 16.8 million figure from the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), fall far short of Trump’s exaggerated numbers.
Trump also threatened his political opponents, vowing prosecution and prison sentences for what he claimed were acts of "cheating and skullduggery" during the 2020 election. He suggested these alleged tactics could happen again in 2024.
In a message on his social media platform, Trump wrote, "WHEN I WIN, those people that CHEATED will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, with long-term prison sentences." He also warned that legal consequences would extend to lawyers, donors, and election officials involved in what he described as "unscrupulous behavior."
Despite his claims, U.S. courts repeatedly dismissed Trump’s challenges to the 2020 election results, which he lost by 7 million votes. Many analysts believe Trump’s rhetoric signals his intention to challenge any unfavorable results in the 2024 election.
