With just over two weeks before the 2024 presidential election, Donald Trump stopped at his Trump National Doral resort on Tuesday for a “Latino summit” organized by his campaign.
Trump, who is leading in the latest polls of likely Florida voters, delivered an array of remarks touching on a wide range of topics.
A University of North Florida poll released Monday shows Trump with a lead of 10 points over Vice President Kamala Harris, 53% - 43%, with only 2% undecided. A New York Times/Siena College poll of registered voters in Florida from Sept. 29 to Oct. 6 found Trump leading by a massive 13 points over Harris, 54% - 41%, with only 5% undecided.
Even before Trump's Doral event, Democrats slammed the former president, saying he would be "an economic disaster" for Hispanics in Florida and across the country.
READ MORE: Hispanic voters now mirror most U.S. voters, with economy topping their concerns, says expert
“Trump has a track record of attacking Latinos, and his Project 2025 agenda goes far beyond attacking us with just rhetoric," said Democratic National Committee spokesperson Marco Frieri in a statement. "It could cost our families and small businesses thousands of dollars a year if he were re-elected. "
"Another Trump administration would be an economic disaster for our community," Frieri said.
Below is a smattering of takeaways by The Associated Press from Trump’s speech before Hispanic supporters in Doral.
Trump’s roundtable with Latino leaders ended with a prayer
The participants gathered around Trump with their hands on his shoulders. Trump remained seated and had his eyes closed.
They asked God to continue to protect Trump and give him strength. And to “make America godly again.”
Trump again rails against green power sources
He claimed that switching to all-electric trucks would require rebuilding every one of the country’s bridges and that solar fields kill rabbits.
He says he recently saw a a solar field “that looked like it took up half the desert.”
“It’s all steel and glass and wires. And it looks like hell,” he said. “You see rabbits, they get caught in it.”
Trump often rails against wind power, saying the turbines “kill all the birds” and confuse whales. He’s been more complimentary of electric cars since he received the backing of Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
But he is criticizing their range and weight at an event with Latino supporters Tuesday, claiming the nation would need to rebuild every one of its bridges if truck fleets swap diesel for electric vehicles to handle the extra weight.
Trump criticized the Biden administration for the leak of secret documents detailing Israel’s preparation for a potential retaliatory attack on Iran
He called it a “bad thing.”
“Can you imagine somebody doing that? That’s the enemy. I guess that maybe is the enemy from within,” he said, repeating the phrase he’s used in recent speeches to refer to Democratic lawmakers such as U.S. Reps. Nancy Pelosi and Adam Schiff.
“We just can’t stand for this incompetence anymore.”
The FBI said Tuesday that it’s investigating the unauthorized release of these documents.
At his event, Trump compliments Goya, the largest, Hispanic-owned food company in the country
The company’s CEO, Bob Unanue, is a vocal supporter.
“It’s actually quite good out of the can,” Trump says of the company known for its beans and other products.
“I eat it whenever I can,” he claims.
Trump is using the roundtable with Latin American leaders to complain about negative ads against him and criticize Harris’ intellect
At the event, Trump said Harris is “slow” and has a “low IQ.”
“We don’t need another low IQ person,” he said.
Trump criticized Harris for her schedule Tuesday, which includes meetings in Washington and interviews with Telemundo and NBC, but no public events
“She’s sleeping right now,” he said. “This is not what you want.”
Trump’s jabs come after Harris tried to cast him as “exhausted” after he pulled out of several interviews — though Trump has had a busy schedule of interviews with conservative outlets and podcasts.
Trump spoke to Hispanic voters and leaders in a smaller gathering at Trump National Doral Miami
In the opening remarks, notable Florida Republicans including Miami Mayor Francis Suarez and U.S. Sen. Rick Scott proclaimed Trump’s record in supporting the Hispanic community during his previous term.
Suarez was one of three Florida Republicans running for president in the earlier campaign cycle, but despite running against Trump, the mayor endorsed the former president in March. Suarez said that under Trump’s term, Hispanics experienced the lowest unemployment and the biggest reduction in poverty.
Scott, who’s running for reelection, emphasized Trump would be the best to handle Latin American conflicts and fight against dictatorial regimes, where the families of many voters in the crowd escaped from.
Miami is home to one of the largest Hispanic communities in the country, with about 70% of Miami-Dade County’s population identifying as Hispanic according to 2023 Census data.
US Sen. Rick Scott, (R-Fla.) spoke to a crowd of about 100 Hispanic voters at the Trump National Doral Miami
Scott’s main message to Hispanic voters was that under Trump’s presidency, Hispanic voters were better off, because the border was more secure and inflation was lower.
Scott is saying Harris’ policy will institute price controls, which is socialism. He said her administration would raise taxes.
“The Hispanic vote is the deciding factor. If you want someone to fight for Latin America, Trump’s going to do it,” Scott said.
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