Barack Obama has blasted Trump’s deployment of thousands of active-duty troops to the U.S.-Mexico border as a ‘political stunt’ in a fiery speech on Friday.
The former President slammed Republicans for their aggressive stance against migrants trying to enter the United States during his speech rallying for Florida Democrats in Miami.
‘They’re telling you the existential threat to America is a bunch of poor refugees a thousand miles away,’ he said on Republicans.
‘They’re even taking our brave troops away from their families for a political stunt at the border. The men and women of our military deserve better than that. So they’re just constant fear mongering to distract from the record,’ he added.
Barack Obama has blasted Trump’s deployment of thousands of active-duty troops to the U.S.-Mexico border as a ‘political stunt’ in a fiery speech on Friday
He slammed Trump’s announcement to send out 7,000 troops to the border
Obama was heckled as he rallied for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum (left) and Senator Bill Nelson (right)
His rebuke comes as some 7,000 military members are set to arrive at the border through the weekend. Trump says he’s willing to send as many as 15,000 to support Border Patrol agents.
On Thursday the first 109 troops from the 591st Military Police Company were taken from Fort Hood, Texas, to to Lackland Air Force Base to help with operations there and on Friday the troops began to set up barbed wire on the McAllen-Hidalgo International Bridge.
The troops that continue to trickle will likely meet the third caravan of 1,000 to 1,500 migrants who trekked from El Salvador and waded over the Suchiate River into Mexico on Friday.
On Thursday Trump sparked outrage when he told reporters that if migrants throw rocks at troops or border patrol officers, the U.S. will retaliate.
‘I don’t want these people throwing rocks,’ the president said on Thursday, reflecting on violence that erupted on Mexico’s southern border as the first of four caravans of Central Americans made their way north last week.
‘What they did to the Mexican military is a disgrace,’ he said. ‘They hit them with rocks. Some were very seriously injured, and they were throwing rocks in their face. [If] they do that with us, they’re going to be arrested. There’s going to be problems.’
‘I didn’t say shoot. I didn’t say shoot! But they do that with us, they’re going to be arrested for a long time,’ he warned.
Speaking at the Miami rally wasn’t easy for Obama, who was heckled by protesters.
Obama was bombarded with fans as he went out and about in Miami, stopping at Coyo Taco restaurant and urging locals to vote
The former U.S. president greeted people as he arrived for lunch at the Coyo Taco, a brief stop on his rigorous campaign trail four days ahead of the midterm elections
During his stop in Florida he blasted Republican’s deployment of troops to the border saying: ‘They’re even taking our brave troops away from their families for a political stunt at the border’
But he handled the angry shouts and boos with grace saying: ‘This is what I look forward to – is having a few hecklers to get me back in the mood. I enjoy that. You always got to have a few in order to know that you’re on the campaign trail.’
At one point he addressed one heckler saying: ‘Here’s the deal. If you support the other candidates, then you should go support the other candidates. Don’t be here.’
‘One of the things I never understood was why if you’re supporting the other guy, you come to my rally. Go to their rally,’ he added.
He was campaigning for Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson, ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, and Andrew Gillum, a Democratic gubernatorial candidate.
Obama is ramping up his campaign trail stops to push voters towards the polls as the midterm elections are four days away.
After his stop in Miami, Obama headed to Georgia rallying for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams who is in a deadlock race with Republican Brian Kemp, saying: ‘I’m here for one simple reason: To ask you to vote’.
After Miami, Obama headed to Atlanta, Georgia Friday evening to encourage people to vote
He rallied for gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams who is in a deadlock race with Republican Brian Kemp, saying: ‘I’m here for one simple reason: To ask you to vote’
He greeted the fans that gathered at Morehouse College on Friday and said: ‘Georgia, be unafraid. If they try to take away your right to vote, there’s only one way to take it back: Vote’, touching on Kemp’s voter suppression accusations
‘The consequences of any of us staying home are profound because America is at a crossroads … The character of our country is on the ballot,’ he added.
He also accused Republicans of using ‘scare tactics’ in the election.
‘They’ll try to disenfranchise people and take away their right to vote…Stacey’s opponent has already been caught multiple times,’ he said.
Abrams has accused Kemp of voter suppression, accusations he calls ‘farce’.
‘Georgia, be unafraid. If they try to take away your right to vote, there’s only one way to take it back: Vote,’ he said.
On Friday Trump was campaigning for Republicans in West Virginia.
As the campaign trail heats up ahead of the elections, tensions are rising at the U.S.-Mexico border.
The third caravan just entered Mexico on Friday. They were not allowed to cross the bridge from Guatemala to Mexico so the group waded across the Suchiate River to enter Mexican territory.
By Thursday 109 troops arrived to aid Border Patrol agents and on Friday they were put to work, placing barbed wire at McAllen-Hidalgo International Bridge in McAllen, Texas
Some 7,000 troops are set to arrive at the border this weekend. Trump said he’s willing to send as many as 15,000
Pedestrians pass members of the U.S.military working to place razor wire along the U.S.-Mexico border on the McAllen-Hidalgo International Bridge on Friday
While troops are trickling into the border, a third caravan of 1,500 migrants from El Salvador made it into Mexico after crossing the Suchiate river, the border between Guatemala and Mexico on Friday
The new caravan tried to cross the bridge between Guatemala and Mexico, but Mexican authorities told them they would have to show passports and visas and enter in groups of 50 for processing. The Salvadorans expressed misgivings that they would be deported, so they turned around and waded across a shallow stretch of the river to enter Mexico
They are the third caravan to make it into Mexico. The first group of almost 4,000 entered Mexico almost two weeks ago and is now in Donaji, Oaxaca
The troops at the border and the three caravans will inevitably meet. Trump said that if migrants throw rocks at border patrol agents they will be arrested
This map shows the latest positions of the four Central American caravans making their way to the US border. On Friday the fourth caravan made it into Mexico
The first caravan – and largest group of almost 4,000 – entered Mexico almost two weeks ago and is now in Donaji, Oaxaca.
The second caravan of 1,000 to 1,500 people is now in Mapastepec, Chiapas.
It’s unclear whether the first caravan will make a turn east to Mexico City to head to a stretch of the border.
As the journey goes on, many migrants have decided to remain in Mexico rather than try to enter the U.S. Mexico’s Interior Department said on Thursday that nearly 3,000 migrants have applied for refuge in Mexico while hundreds have returned home.
At its peak, the caravan had about 7,000 people.
Active-duty military troops are preparing for the flood of migrants and on Friday spent the day installing coils of razor wire on a bridge and a riverbank across Texas’ Rio Grande Valley.
The Pentagon said on Friday more than 3,500 troops have been deployed to staging bases along the border, including about 1,000 Marines in California.
Still, there were only about 100 troops at the border on Friday, working at and near a bridge leading to McAllen, Texas, the Rio Grande Valley’s second-biggest city, with about 140,000 people.