Donald Trump should talk about the economy, which is, after all, the No. 1 issue for voters.
But the economy doesn’t have the same viral effect as an “invasion” of “illegal immigrants” or the myth that Haitian immigrants kidnapped and ate family dogs and cats in the town of Springfield, Ohio.
Trump still has a talking point: His campaign said Monday that his “unwavering commitment to America First is exactly what the country needs to get our economy back on track.”
But immigration is a hot topic for Republicans in battleground states where Trump and his running mate, J.D. Vance, are betting to beat Harris and Tim Walz on Election Day.
Republican candidates have stepped up dark, xenophobic rhetoric against immigrants, particularly false conspiracy theories about Haitian immigrants kidnapping and eating residents’ pets. All of this has political weight.
“Harris’ support for illegal immigration and soft record on crime are perhaps her biggest weaknesses, while polls show the American public lines up with Trump when it comes to enforcing immigration laws and deporting illegal immigrants,” Matt Wolking, deputy communications director for Trump’s defeated 2020 campaign, told The Daily Beast.
He said President Trump “remains rightly focused on the economy” but that “the polls are less clear than his major policies.”
In fact, Gallup polls show a sharp increase in the number of Americans who want to reduce immigration.
“This election is about the economy,” Trump insisted at a rally in Wilmington, North Carolina, on Saturday, before suddenly changing his tune: “This election is about the border. That’s what it’s all about. And I’m your border president. I’m your border president. Kamala is going to be your invasion president.”
Trump has been more effusive about violent crimes perpetrated by illegal immigrants and Democrats’ criticism of sanctuary cities than he has about the economy. He raised his voice when he said emergency rooms are “overflowing with immigrants.” At one point he linked the issues together, blaming “illegal immigrants” for taking jobs from Hispanics, black Americans and union members.
Harris is catching up with Trump in polls on who voters trust more to manage the economy. An August poll showed her with a slight lead over Trump, the first time a Democratic presidential candidate has won on the issue in nearly a year. While some polls show Trump still has a significant lead on the economy, others suggest Harris has closed the gap to almost zero.
Still, Republican messaging experts want Trump to stick to what is acceptable to his base.
“For the first time in a long time, Trump is campaigning aggressively on the positive aspects of poll-proven issues, putting the vice president on the defensive,” veteran Republican political communications strategist Ken Spain told The Daily Beast. “If the president finally focuses his messaging on voters’ top concern: the economy, it will be a case of man biting dog.”
Trump and Vance’s bizarre dog-eating plot against Haitian-Americans in Springfield, Ohio has closed schools and upended daily life for the small town’s residents. Trump has vowed to launch historic deportations nationwide if re-elected — all for a good cause, according to the Trump campaign.
“President Trump and Senator Vance are highlighting the failed immigration system that Kamala Harris oversees that has allowed thousands of illegal immigrants into Springfield and many other communities across the country,” Trump spokesman Steven Chang told The New York Times.
