Trump called Laken Riley's murderer an 'illegal alien animal' moments before the out-of-context soundbite amplified by Biden campaign
Former President Trump blasts 'illegal alien animal' who 'murdered' Georgia nursing student
Former President Donald Trump said during a speech in Grand Rapids, Michigan, that 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley was ‘barbarically murdered by an illegal alien animal.’
A social media account belonging to President Biden's re-election campaign was slammed on social media after it posted a clip that left out key context from former President Donald Trump's speech on illegal immigrants committing violent crimes across the U.S.
The account, under the username Biden-Harris HQ, posted a 7-second clip of Trump saying illegal immigrants are "animals" — but cut out Trump's statement from just seconds before that shows the comment was directed to migrants recently convicted of murder.
"Democrats said please don’t call immigrants ‘animals.’ I said, no, they’re not humans, they’re animals," Trump is seen saying in the short clip posted by the campaign account, leaving out key context from moments before where the former president was discussing the illegal immigrant arrested for the murder of Laken Riley.
In Trump's full statement, left out by the Biden account, he said "just a few weeks ago I met with the grieving family of Laken Riley," adding that the 22-year-old was "barbarically murdered by an illegal alien animal. Democrats said please don’t call immigrants ‘animals.’ I said, no, they’re not humans, they’re animals."
President Biden (left) and former President Donald Trump. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images | Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
In the speech, Trump was discussing recent examples in which young Americans have been killed by illegal immigrants who came over the southern border. Specifically, he mentioned 25-year-old Ruby Garcia, who was allegedly murdered by an illegal immigrant that was deported in 2020, but re-entered the U.S. during Biden's term.
The Trump team, along with many conservatives, blasted the Biden campaign for not including the full context of the quote.
"Why is the Biden campaign constantly jumping to the defense of bloodthirsty illegal alien murderers who killed American citizens? President Trump was clearly speaking of Laken Riley’s killer here," Team Trump posted on X.
Laken Riley’s killing has gripped the nation as the border crisis continues. (Elijah Nouvelage)
"Democrats can't even say Laken Riley's name but will get angry when Trump refers to her killer as an animal," State Freedom Caucus Network Comms Director Greg Price posted on X.
"Crazy how the Biden campaign account can push lies like this all day and never be fact checked," comedian Tim Young posted on X.
"Another day and another hoax from the Biden campaign," Donald Trump, Jr. posted on X. "It's bloodbath part two. Here is the full video where Trump is clearly calling the illegal who murdered Laken Riley an animal. Does Biden think her killer is a good person and not an animal???"
"Biden defending Riley’s accused murderer," Trump senior adviser Stephen Miller posted on X.
"Biden's misinformation is disgusting — a pathetic, embarrassing, contemptuous affront to Americans who just want to feel safe in their own backyards," a social media account belonging to the Republican National Convention posted on X. "Never before has an American president defended illegal aliens over his country's own citizens."
The Biden campaign clip has been viewed almost 5 million times on X.
The Biden campaign did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Trump held rallies in both Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Green Bay, Wisconsin, on Tuesday, giving two speeches that both focused heavily on immigration and President Biden's role in that issue.
Migrants cross the Rio Grande in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, on Dec. 5, 2023. (David Peinado/Anadolu via Getty Images)
"I'm here tonight to declare that Joe Biden's border bloodbath… this is a border bloodbath — ends the day I take the oath of office," Trump told the Green Bay crowd.
"With your vote, I will seal the border. I will stop the invasion. I will end the carnage, bloodshed and killing, and we will crush the human traffickers."
Aubrie Spady is a Production Assistant for Fox News Digital.
