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President Donald Trump said the US military "does not have to fire" on migrants if they throw stones as they try to cross the border, recalling what was said on Thursday, where it seemed to threaten the force against allegedly unruly members of the approaching caravan.
When asked on Thursday whether the troops he commanded at the border could shoot migrants, Trump told reporters first: "They throw stones violently and violently. They want to throw stones at our soldiers, our soldiers will defend themselves … we will consider this a firearm.
Journalists pressed Trump on Friday to explain the rules of engagement between US military personnel and a caravan of migrants traveling through Mexico.
"They do not have to shoot," Trump said at a meeting with reporters on the South Lawn, as he was leaving the Oval Office to embark on an election campaign in West Virginia. and in Indiana. "What I do not want, is – I do not want these people to throw stones."
"What they did to the Mexican military is a shame," continued the president. "They hit them with stones. Some were very badly injured and throw stones in the face. They do it with us, they will be stopped, there will be problems. I did not say shoot. I did not say shoot. But they do it with us, they will be arrested for a long time. We will stop them. "
Carlos Alonzo / AFP / Getty Images
While Trump relied on his tough immigration rhetoric to drive fans into a frenzy after dozens of campaign stops, the president was striving to tailor his latest campaign message to the "formidable" economy, just four days before the mid-term critical elections next week.
"I will say we have had a tremendous number of jobs today," Trump said, pointing to record unemployment and strong wage growth. "250,000 new jobs were created in October. It was shocking for a lot of people. It was a huge number in every way. "
But the majority of questions asked on Friday by Trump were focused on immigration. After announcing that he would sign a decree to end citizenship in the United States, Trump said the controversy would be decided by the Supreme Court.
Election results could potentially hinder Trump's presidency if Democrats seized the House or Senate, thus separating Republican control from power in the nation's capital, but Trump said he was "sure" of be able to work with Representative Nancy Pelosi if she is elected President, including immigration reform.
"The problem is that it's a stupid one [immigration] system, and it does not work and Democrats and Republicans could change it immediately. We could do it in a day, "predicted Trump. "We could get it fixed, but the Democrats do not want to do it because they're doing politics."
