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Trump claims US is headed for its own October 7 attack in anti-migrant rally speech

The former president told supporters in Wisconsin that President Joe Biden was planning to bring ‘massive numbers’ of Gazan people from the Middle East to towns across America

Mike Bedigan
Thursday 02 May 2024 00:26 BST
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Related video: Trump condemns damage to Columbia ‘landmark’ during pro-Palestinian protests

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Donald Trump has claimed that the US is heading for its own “October 7 style attack,” in a fiercely anti-immigration campaign speech at a rally in Wisconsin on his day off from court.

The former president, speaking in the battleground state on Wednesday, told supporters that President Joe Biden was planning to bring “massive numbers” of Gazan people from the Middle East to towns across the nation.

He said that Mr Biden was “determined to create the conditions” of an attack, similar to that which occurred in Israel last year, which has since sparked a vicious and ongoing conflict.

On October 7 2023 militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in Southern Israel, abducting around 250 hostages. Israel says the militants are still holding around 100 hostages and the remains of more than 30 others.

More than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed so far in the conflict, according to local health officials, with around 80 per cent of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million driven from their homes.

The former president told supporters in Wisconsin that the Biden adminstration was planning to bring ‘massive numbers’ of people from the Middle East to towns across America
The former president told supporters in Wisconsin that the Biden adminstration was planning to bring ‘massive numbers’ of people from the Middle East to towns across America (AP)

During the rally, Mr Trump claimed that “thousands” of refugees from the Middle East, including Gaza, would soon be brought to the US.

“It should be no surprise that in addition to the millions and millions of people invading our country from the border, crooked Joe is now reportedly planning – this is wonderful news for young people in Wisconsin – to bring massive numbers of Gazans from the Middle East to your American towns, your towns and villages,” he told supporters

“Your towns and villages will now be accepting people from Gaza. Lots of people from Gaza and various other places, Yemen, lots of other places.

“Joe Biden seems determined to create the conditions for an October 7 style attack right here in America. It’s gonna happen with all of these people coming in from the southern border.”

It comes after reports that the Biden administration is considering bringing certain Palestinians to the US as refugees, in order to offer a permanent safe haven to some of those fleeing the embattled territory.

According to internal federal government documents obtained by CBS News, several federal US agencies have discussed the practicality of different options to resettle Palestinians from Gaza who have immediate family members who are US citizens or permanent residents.

At a campaign rally in Wisconsin on Wednesday Mr Trump railed against all forms of immigration
At a campaign rally in Wisconsin on Wednesday Mr Trump railed against all forms of immigration (AP)

The White House has not commented publicly on such plans.

In Wisconsin on Wednesday, Mr Trump continued to rail against all forms of immigration, telling crowds “We’re a country that’s so troubled and that a thing like that could happen, they will be impossible to vet and as a result of chain migration the numbers will quickly explode beyond your control.

“It’s going to be out of control because under chain migration, they can bring everybody they ever touched.”

He added: “Under no circumstances shall we bring thousands of refugees from Hamas-controlled terrorist epicenters like Gaza to America. We just can’t do it.

“You know we also have to run our country. And it’s nice to be nice, it’s nice to be good. But we’ve got to run our country.”

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