In a provocative statement during an interview with Elon Musk on Monday, former President Donald Trump suggested that he might flee to Venezuela if he loses the upcoming election. The comment, made during a conversation on X, was framed within a broader narrative of fear and unrest that Trump has been promoting.
“If something happens with this election, which would be a horror show, we’ll meet the next time in Venezuela,” Trump remarked. This comment was part of a wider discussion where Trump portrayed a loss in the election as a catastrophic event, suggesting that Venezuela—a nation currently plagued by political turmoil and a high crime rate—might offer a safer haven than the United States under a potential Vice President Kamala Harris administration.
Trump’s remarks included a bizarre comparison between crime rates in Venezuela and the US. “We’ll have a meeting and dinner in Venezuela,” Trump said, adding that Venezuela’s crime rate was decreasing while the US’s was increasing. This statement came despite the fact that Venezuela has seen significant political unrest and violence, including crackdowns on dissent that have resulted in numerous deaths and arrests.
The United Nations has reported that more than 1,200 individuals, including journalists, political opponents, and children, have been arrested in Venezuela amid widespread political crackdowns. Despite these conditions, Trump suggested that the South American nation was a model of safety compared to the US, claiming that crime in Venezuela was decreasing and implying that criminals from Venezuela were infiltrating the US.
“Their crime rate is coming down and our crime rate is going through the roof. And it’s so simple. And you haven’t seen anything yet because these people have come into our country and they’re just getting acclimated and they don’t know about being politically correct, law enforcement or lack of law enforcement and our police. I have to just end with this. We have great police,” Trump said.
Trump’s assertion that Venezuela has “gotten rid of about 70 percent of their really bad people,” with the implication that these individuals have migrated to the US, was notably unsupported by evidence. He claimed that Venezuelan criminals were being sent to the US and other countries, a notion that has been debunked by experts.
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Roberto Briceño-León, the founder and director of the Venezuelan Observatory of Violence (OVV), dismissed Trump’s claims. In a statement to FactCheck.org, Briceño-León said, “We have no evidence that the Venezuelan government is emptying the prisons or mental hospitals to send them out of the country, whether to the USA or any other country.” He added that while crime rates in Venezuela have been decreasing, this is attributed to the massive exodus of people from the country rather than any government policy of exporting criminals.
According to Briceño-León, approximately 8 million people have fled Venezuela since 2014 due to severe economic and living conditions, contributing to changes in crime statistics rather than any government action to relocate prisoners.
Trump’s comments come as part of a broader narrative in which he has frequently made controversial and unsubstantiated claims about immigration and crime. His recent remarks further exemplify his tendency to use dramatic rhetoric to sway public opinion and highlight his ongoing campaign against the current political establishment.
As the election approaches, Trump’s provocative statements continue to capture media attention and provoke debate. His suggestion that he might flee to Venezuela if he loses adds to the already heated political climate, reflecting his ongoing strategy of stirring controversy and fear to energize his base.
The release of these comments and the context in which they were made underscore the intense political polarization in the US and the continued influence of sensational rhetoric in shaping public discourse.
