In a recent fundraising event held in Palm Beach by billionaire investor John Paulson, former President Donald Trump took aim at President Joe Biden’s immigration policies, and in a controversial remark, insinuated that Biden had physically “soiled” the historic Resolute Desk. The desk, a gift from Queen Victoria to the United States in 1880 and used by various presidents including Ronald Reagan, was the subject of Trump’s critique as he discussed Biden’s handling of border issues.
According to an attendee’s account to The New York Times, Trump’s criticism of Biden extended beyond policy to a personal level, suggesting in a manner that elicited laughter from the audience that Biden had defecated on the Resolute Desk. This remark was part of a broader 45-minute critique focusing largely on the current administration’s approach to immigration, particularly the recent increase in migrants from Latin America.
Trump compared the migrants arriving under Biden’s administration to the Hells Angels, portraying them as a significant threat and claiming they originate from prisons, jails, and countries facing disaster. He reminisced about his previous comments regarding immigrants from what he referred to as “shithole countries,” questioning why the United States does not receive immigrants from countries like Denmark, Switzerland, or Norway instead.
The former president has repeatedly accused migrants of bringing violence and chaos to the United States, a stance he reiterated during a rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he described every state as a border state due to Biden’s policies. This perspective is shared by other conservative figures, including Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, who alleges that Biden’s policies have allowed thousands of criminals, including gang members, to enter the country, thus endangering public safety.
However, the narrative of a “migrant crime wave” is not supported by recent data. FBI statistics show a nationwide decline in crime in 2023, including a significant drop in homicides. Moreover, research from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences indicates that U.S.-born citizens are more than twice as likely to be arrested for violent crimes compared to undocumented immigrants, challenging the rhetoric surrounding immigration and crime.