Trump’s success in border security overshadowed by self-inflicted setbacks

According to the recent Wall Street Journal poll of swing-state voters, Donald Trump is leading Joe Biden by 52% to 32% on the issue of “immigration and border security.” The reasons for this are clear, and the only question is whether Trump can avoid making mistakes on this issue.

One such misstep was his statement that he had spoken with the family of Ruby Garcia, a Michigan woman who was killed by her illegal immigrant partner, during a campaign rally. Ruby’s sister Mavi contradicted this claim, stating that Trump did not speak with any of them.

When asked for comment, Trump’s campaign chose not to address the issue on the record, showing prudence in avoiding a prolonged controversy that serves no purpose.

It would be wise for the candidate himself to refrain from referring to illegal immigrants as “animals.” They are people, many of whom are not significantly different from US citizens who may support him and are also concerned about uncontrolled immigration.

Legal Hispanic immigrants, for example, could be alienated by such language, leading to a loss of their potential votes. It is acceptable to use strong language when discussing specific criminals like cop-killers or rapists, but using it broadly against a group only hinders the discussion on immigration control, which is crucial for the country.

While it is essential to criticize Biden’s policies and highlight disturbing incidents at the border, resorting to dehumanizing language diminishes the ability to have a meaningful conversation on this critical issue, particularly when focusing on attracting new voters who could sway the election in Trump’s favor.