Former President Donald Trump delivered a fiery and divisive speech at a campaign rally in Rome, Georgia, where he criticized President Biden’s State of the Union address as an “angry, dark, hate-filled rant.” In his nearly two-hour speech, Trump used inflammatory language to stoke fears on immigration and repeated his false claim that the 2020 election was stolen from him.
Trump, who faces multiple criminal cases, called the press “criminals” and mocked President Biden’s stutter. He also revived grievances against political opponents, prosecutors, and television executives. The former president told his supporters that “everything Joe Biden touches turns to filth,” using expletives to describe the result.
The speech underscored Trump’s ominous and apocalyptic vision for the country, with a focus on immigration as a central issue in his campaign. He described migrants crossing the border illegally as a threat to the country, using the tragic death of a nursing student in Georgia to blame Biden’s policies on immigration.
Trump met with the parents of the victim before the rally and accused Biden of neglecting the surge of migrants at the border, calling it a “deadly invasion.” He painted a grim picture of migrants as violent criminals, despite border authorities stating that most are families fleeing violence and poverty.
The speech also included personal attacks on Biden and others, with Trump slurring his words and mocking the president’s stutter. He denigrated prosecutors and judges involved in his legal battles, including calling the district attorney in Georgia prosecuting him “corrupt.”
Overall, Trump’s speech in Georgia highlighted his continued focus on divisive rhetoric and fear-mongering, setting the tone for his general election campaign.