During a recent X space conversation with tech mogul Elon Musk, President Donald Trump made a surprising remark about potentially seeking refuge in Venezuela if he were to lose the upcoming election. The two-hour discussion, hosted on Musk’s platform, spanned various topics, including immigration, crime, and international relations.
“If something happens with this election, which would be a horror show, we’ll meet next time in Venezuela, because it’ll be a far safer place to meet than our country,” Trump stated.
He then claimed that Venezuela’s crime rate had allegedly decreased by 72 percent, attributing this to the country “emptying out” its prisons and sending criminals to the United States. Trump asserted that Venezuela has only removed around 70 percent of its “really bad people.”
Trump’s statements echoed his long-standing rhetoric on immigration, suggesting that drug dealers, murderers, and rapists are being released from prisons in various countries and entering the United States. He argued that while Venezuela’s crime rate is declining, crime in the U.S. is skyrocketing.
The conversation also touched on recent events in New York City, where Trump cited incidents of rape and stabbing to support his claims about the city being overwhelmed by illegal immigration. He took the opportunity to criticize Vice President Kamala Harris for her handling of immigration issues, particularly her role as Biden’s “border czar,” and accused her of overseeing a significant increase in unauthorized border crossings.
Trump further alleged that millions of illegal migrants are entering the U.S. monthly under the Biden-Harris administration, and repeated claims that criminals from Congo are being sent across the southern U.S. border—statements that have been previously refuted by government officials from both the Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In an unusual turn, Trump recounted an assassination attempt during a campaign rally, claiming that illegal immigration “saved his life” when a gunman missed him because he had turned to look at an immigration chart, resulting in the bullet grazing his ear.
The conversation concluded with Musk offering to serve on a proposed Government Efficiency Committee, an idea Trump welcomed, praising Musk as “the greatest cutter” for his track record in streamlining companies. This potential collaboration aims to address wasteful spending at the federal level, a significant concern for conservative voters.