Former President Donald Trump's daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, urged Americans in border towns to arm themselves against an influx of immigration at the southern border.
She made the comments on far-right Fox News host Jeanine Pirro's broadcast, which has a long history of anti-immigrant rhetoric, such as referring to immigrant children as "lower level" human beings.
Watch Lara Trump's words below.
Lara Trump says people who live at the southern border should get guns and take matters into their own handspic.twitter.com/2JL30va6nF— Acyn (@Acyn) 1623547042
Trump said:
"I don't know what you tell the people that live at the southern border. I guess they better arm up and get guns and be ready, and maybe they're gonna have to take matters into their own hands."
Rhetoric like this has been proven to incite violence against Hispanic people, regardless of their immigration status. In 2019, a shooter opened fire in an El Paso, Texas shopping center, killing 23 people. The shooter claimed his actions were meant as a rebellion against "the Hispanic invasion of Texas," though Hispanic people have been an integral part of the state's culture for centuries.
That shooter also cited the Great Replacement conspiracy theory—another Fox News talking point.
Even though undocumented immigrants are considerably less likely to be arrested for violent crimes than native-born Americans, Lara Trump apparently thinks shooting them is justified.
People were disgusted by her claim.
Ummm. WHAT? \n\nVigilante justice is not how things work in America, you twit.https://twitter.com/acyn/status/1403884163892080643\u00a0\u2026— Tara Setmayer (@Tara Setmayer) 1623633944
Wow.\n\nLara Trump says Americans at the southern border should \u201cget guns, arm up & be ready\u201d to take \u201cmatters into their own hands\u201d.\n\nVigilante justice & mob violence is the official Trump family platform.pic.twitter.com/IUSYunFAA3— Nick Knudsen \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@Nick Knudsen \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1623611252
This is dangerous. The former president's daughter-in-law is calling for people to shoot immigrants. It's worse after multiple mass shootings over the last few days in Texas & elsewhere. This could lead to an uptick in hate crimes across the country.https://twitter.com/Acyn/status/1403884163892080643\u00a0\u2026— Russell Foster for Texas (@Russell Foster for Texas) 1623549746
Normal stuff, just an open call for vigilantism on a national \u201cnews\u201d networkhttps://twitter.com/Acyn/status/1403884163892080643\u00a0\u2026— Brendan Nyhan (@Brendan Nyhan) 1623549831
Daughter of wealthy boat manufacturer who, after working as a TV producer, married the 3rd generation heir to a real estate fortune built on a substantial amount of tax fraud calls upon middle class Americans to shoot working class immigrants at the US border, because freedom.https://twitter.com/Acyn/status/1403884163892080643\u00a0\u2026— Seth Cotlar (@Seth Cotlar) 1623550357
Every leader in the Republican Party at the state and federal level should be asked if they agree with this statement. \n\nMake them go on record before asking any other questions.https://twitter.com/Acyn/status/1403884163892080643\u00a0\u2026— Tim Fullerton (@Tim Fullerton) 1623556493
Many were reminded of the devastating El Paso shooting, and the despicable ideology that motivated it.
This is frighteningly familiar rhetoric to El Pasoans.https://twitter.com/Acyn/status/1403884163892080643\u00a0\u2026— Bob Moore (@Bob Moore) 1623556686
The El Paso gunman drove NINE HOURS to the Texas border to kill brown people. He killed 23 people and wounded 23 others.\n\nThis is a call to arms for white supremacists, and it\u2019s made more likely by the easy access violent people in America have to arsenals and ammunition.https://twitter.com/acyn/status/1403884163892080643\u00a0\u2026— Shannon Watts (@Shannon Watts) 1623598202
This is exactly how El Paso massacre happened. He was following trump\u2019s \u201cstop the invasion\u201d rhetoric. @BetoORourkehttps://twitter.com/acyn/status/1403884163892080643\u00a0\u2026— Justin Sweeney (@Justin Sweeney) 1623565654
Lara Trump also faced accusations of promoting vigilante violence.
@An_Enemy_Within/X