Trump ditches ‘boring’ tax script for Mexican rapists, illegal voting claims

President Donald Trump on Thursday ditched his “boring” prepared remarks at a tax roundtable in West Virginia, and instead repeated his claim that “millions” of people are voting illegally and boasted that he was right about the threat of Mexican rapists.

“You know, this was going to be my remarks, it would’ve have taken about two minutes, but to hell with it,” the president said, tossing papers in the air. “That would have been a little boring, a little boring.”


The event, at which the president and state officials were slated to discuss the recently enacted Republican tax law, quickly veered off track as the president doubled down on some of his most incendiary and unsubstantiated claims.

Trump, who in announcing the launch of his presidential campaign in 2015 denounced those he called “rapists” coming into the U.S. from Mexico, bragged that the caravan of immigrants making its way through Mexico in recent days had bolstered his claim.

POLITICO Playbook newsletter Sign up today to receive the #1-rated newsletter in politics Email Sign Up By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or alerts from POLITICO. You can unsubscribe at any time. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

“Remember my opening remarks at Trump Tower when I opened? Everybody said, ‘Oh, he was so tough.’ I used the word rape,” the president said. “And yesterday it came out where this journey coming up, women are raped at levels that nobody has ever seen before.”

A New York Times report published on Wednesday found that the caravan, which originated in Central America and has since broken up, largely consisted of women and children who were fleeing violence and crime.

Fresh off a White House declaration that the president directed officials to deploy the National Guard to the southern U.S. border to curb illegal immigration, Trump railed against “chain migration” and rebuked Democratic officials for not addressing border security at the legislative level.

The president also revisited his widely debunked claim that “millions” of people illegally cast ballots in elections.

“In many places like California, the same person votes many times. You’ve probably heard of that,” Trump said. “They always like to say, ‘Oh, that’s like a conspiracy theory.’ Not a conspiracy theory, folks. Millions and millions of people. And it’s very hard, because the state guards their records. They don’t want to see it.”

Speaking alongside several prominent Republican allies from West Virginia, including Gov. Jim Justice and Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, Trump was lavished with praise onstage.

Jessica Hodge, a speaker who the White House said would save more than $2,000 because of enactment of the GOP tax bill, burst into tears halfway through thanking the president.

“Thank you for listening to us. Thank you for fighting for us. Thank you for caring enough to allow us the opportunity to come here and tell you thank you to your face,” said Hodge, whose voice trembled as she spoke. “My little 10-year-old wants to be president someday.”

“It’ll happen,” Trump replied.

While supporters heaped praise on the president, the president derided his detractors.

He hammered Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia for voting against the tax bill, suggesting that voters would have the chance to retaliate at the ballot box in the fall midterm elections.

“You’re going to have a chance to get a senator that’s going to vote our program,” Trump said. “That’s going to help you in so many ways.”

Manchin later responded by saying that residents deserved to know about their future security, from healthcare coverage and Social Security benefits to coal miners’ pensions.

“Instead of the political posturing back and forth, West Virginians deserve answers,” he said in a statement, “and the only thing that matters today is did these questions get answered.”

Trump wasn’t the only one to sound off on an electoral preference at the event. As the roundtable drew to a close, the president put the question to audience members, polling them on which Republican primary candidate they would back to challenge Manchin, West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey or Rep. Evan Jenkins (R-W.V.), who flanked Trump onstage.

“Patrick and Evan, good luck. Should we do a little test?” the president said, to cheers. “Who’s voting for Patrick? Who’s voting for Evan?”