In a speech scheduled to tackle economic issues on Thursday, former president Donald Trump echoed a conspiracy theory debunked by law enforcement, claiming that a Venezuelan gang had taken control of a “large section” of Colorado.
Speaking before a crowd at the Economic Club of New York in an event at which he promised to extend tax cuts on the ultra-wealthy and massive tariffs on consumer goods, Trump repeated the conspiracy theory that Aurora police debunked.
“You saw in Colorado this week, a group from Venezuela . . . rough ones, rough ones . . . they took over large sections of a town, large sections of an area of Colorado,” the former president said. “Aurora, has anyone been there? I think you’d better stay away for a while.”
Trump added, a day after a school shooting left 4 dead, that tenants in an apartment building — which far-right figures have attempted to tie to Venezuelan gangs — “had AK-47s. The ultimate guns. AK-47s. They can blow lots of people away real fast.”
The comments came as Trump claimed “illegal aliens” were driving up housing costs across the United States, an allegation that has become a core argument for his plan to deport tens of millions of immigrants within the U.S.
“The sheriff didn’t want to touch them, nobody wants to touch them. The sheriff — ‘There’s 18 Venezuelans attacking my building, would you please come over and straighten out the situation?’ — You know what they say? ‘Uhh, well, no thanks. Let’s call in the military.’ They’re taking over.”
Trump, who on Wednesday seemingly momentarily forgot that President Joe Biden had dropped out of the race, has opted for multiple speeches to donors and interest groups, opting for fewer public campaign speeches this week.