Former President Donald J. Trump lamented at a multimillion-dollar fundraiser Saturday night that people from “beautiful” countries “like Denmark” are not immigrating to the United States, and suggested that his well-heeled dinner companions are temporarily doing so would be safe from illegal immigrants nearby, according to one participant.
Mr. Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, made the remarks during a roughly 45-minute presentation at a dinner at a mansion owned by billionaire financier John Paulson in Palm Beach, Florida, an upscale island community.
Guests sat outside at white-covered tables under a white tent, overlooking the waterway that separates the affluent city from the more diverse West Palm Beach, a mainland city, according to the attendee, who was not authorized to speak publicly about it speak at a private event but offered a detailed reading of Mr. Trump’s remarks.
Dozens of wealthy donors helped write checks that said the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee were worth a total of more than $50 million, an amount that would set a record but has not been verified. Campaign finance reports that include the date of the event will not be available for several months.
Some of Mr. Trump’s comments were standard parts of his short speeches, while other parts of the speech were tailored to his wealthy audience.
About halfway through his remarks, the attendee said, Mr. Trump launched into a lengthy tirade about migrants entering the United States at a time when President Biden was grappling with a worsening crisis at the southern border.
“These are people who come from prisons and jails. They come from just incredible places and countries, countries that are a disaster,” Trump told his guests, according to the attendee. The former president has made a similar claim at the core of his campaign speeches.
He then appeared to be referring to an episode during his presidency when he faced harsh criticism after an Oval Office meeting with federal lawmakers on immigration in which he called Haiti and some countries in Africa “shithole countries” compared to places like Norway attracted attention.
“And when I said, you know, why can’t we let people come in from nice countries, I’m trying to be nice,” Trump said at the dinner, prompting laughter from the crowd. “Beautiful countries, you know, like Denmark, Switzerland? Are people from Denmark? How about Switzerland? How about Norway?”
He continued: “And you know, they took that as a very terrible comment, but I thought it was fine.”
Mr. Trump went on to say that people had come from Yemen “where they are blowing each other up everywhere.”
During his rallies, Mr. Trump often laments migrants from a list of countries from Africa, Asia and the Middle East, while stoking fears surrounding the surge at the border, which he blames for a rise in crime, a blame that has been blamed by It is not supported by Available Data.
At the dinner, Mr. Trump also lamented the influx of migrants, particularly from Latin America, and said that gang members “make the Hell’s Angels look like extremely nice people.”
“They were shipped, brought in and deposited in our country, and they are with us tonight,” Trump said.
“In fact, I don’t think they’re on that island, but I know they’re right there on that island. This is West Palm,” Trump said, gesturing across the water, according to the attendee. “Congratulations over there. But they will be here. They’ll be here at some point.”
When reached for comment, a Trump campaign official referred to an official readout from the former president’s event, including that he spoke about the border crisis and the tax cuts he passed while in office. The official did not address the specific quotes and did not respond when asked whether the campaign disputed them.
Mr. Paulson’s property sits on the waterway that separates the city of Palm Beach — a wealthy community on a barrier island that is 93.8 percent white, according to the Census Bureau — from West Palm Beach, where nearly a third of residents are black a quarter are Hispanic.
Mr. Trump blamed his successor, Mr. Biden, for the influx of migrants and mocked him and his staff for what Mr. Trump said were poor decisions around the Resolute Desk, which has been used by two dozen presidents.
“The Resolute Desk is beautiful,” Mr. Trump said. “Ronald Reagan used it, others used it.”
He then denigrated Mr. Biden, sounding disgusted as the participant said: “And he’s using it. Maybe next time I won’t use it. It’s dirty. And I mean that literally, which is sad.”
The attendee who witnessed the moment said that dinner guests laughed and that Mr. Trump’s remark was interpreted as the former president saying that Mr. Biden defecated on the desk.
Mr. Trump also tried to point out parts of his record that might be attractive to wealthy donors in attendance. He highlighted the tax cuts under his administration and asked attendees whether they favored that measure or his provisions that allowed them to benefit from certain depreciations, the attendee said.
“The most successful people in the entire country are in this room,” Trump said.
He ended his remarks with a serious assessment of America’s future that has characterized his campaigns for the presidency, albeit with a more apocalyptic tone in 2024.
“This could very well be the last election this country ever has,” Trump said, using a phrase that has become standard at his rallies. “For me, the Fourth of July isn’t that important.”
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2024-04-07 22:26:05
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