During a high-dollar fundraising event in Aspen, Colorado, in August 2024, former President Donald Trump delivered an impassioned and often foul-mouthed speech to a room full of donors. The Republican nominee for president used the opportunity to discuss his views on immigration, criticize Democratic opponent Kamala Harris, and share personal anecdotes—all while making dire predictions about the future of the United States if Harris were to win the election.
Private Fundraiser with High-Profile Guests
The exclusive event, held on August 10 at the $38 million home of art collectors and investors John and Amy Phelan, required donations ranging from $25,000 to $500,000 per couple. Attendees included notable figures such as casino mogul Steve Wynn, billionaire businessman Thomas Peterffy, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Florida Congressman Byron Donalds, Colorado Congresswoman Lauren Boebert, and former Colorado Senator Cory Gardner.
In a 12-minute recording obtained by The Guardian, Trump can be heard delivering a fiery speech, largely focused on border security and immigration—a familiar theme from his public rallies. However, his language took on an even more aggressive tone in the private setting, reflecting his frustration and deep concerns.
Xenophobic Claims and Fear-Mongering
Trump did not hold back as he painted a bleak picture of the immigration situation in the U.S., making unsubstantiated claims about foreign criminals flooding into the country. He warned his audience that “radical leftwing lunatics” wanted to open the borders to people from prisons, mental institutions, and even “insane asylums.” Without providing evidence, he further claimed that the U.S. was hosting “a record number of terrorists.”
According to Trump, the leaders of countries like Venezuela and others in South America were purposefully sending “murderers and drug dealers” to the U.S. to alleviate the burden on their own prison systems. He doubled down on this narrative with a specific—though false—example. Trump claimed that 22 people had recently entered the U.S. after being released from a prison in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He then added a coarse embellishment: “We said, ‘Where do you come from?’ They said, ‘Prison.’ ‘What did you do?’ ‘None of your fucking business what we did.’ You know why? Because they’re murderers.” The Congolese government has denied these accusations, stating that no such incident occurred.
Fear of Kamala Harris: “The Last Election We Ever Have”
Trump’s speech was not solely focused on immigration. As the 2024 election approached, he also issued a stark warning about the consequences of a Kamala Harris presidency. Claiming that the country would be “going to hell” if she won, Trump told the audience: “You know, there’s an expression, this could be the last election we ever have. And it’s an expression that I really believe.”
He painted Harris, the current Vice President and his Democratic opponent, as a “radical left” politician who would bring disaster if she were to win. Trump further criticized Harris, accusing her of being bad at interviews and debates, predicting she would perform poorly in their upcoming televised debate. Despite his harsh critique, Harris would later be widely viewed as the clear winner of that debate.
Attacks on Harris and “Defund the Police” Narrative
Trump also zeroed in on Harris’s position on law enforcement, accusing her of supporting the controversial “defund the police” movement. He described her as a typical politician who would revert to her earlier stance on the issue if elected, despite Harris later walking back her previous support for the movement after joining Joe Biden’s ticket in 2020. “Her policy is defund the police,” Trump said. “She wants open borders. With a politician… they always go back to their original plot.”
Reflecting on an Assassination Attempt
Amidst the fiery rhetoric, Trump also shared a somber personal story about an assassination attempt he survived at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July 2024. A gunman opened fire from a rooftop, killing firefighter Corey Comperatore and injuring two others. Trump reflected on the tragic incident, recalling how members of his Mar-a-Lago golf club had raised $1 million to support Comperatore’s family, and how a GoFundMe campaign raised over $6 million for the victims.
In a controversial moment, Trump tried to inject humor into the tragic story by recounting his meeting with Commander’s widow, Helen. He recalled giving her the million-dollar check, to which she responded, “This is so nice, and I appreciate it, but I’d much rather have my husband.” Trump then quipped to his audience, “Now, I know some of the women in this room wouldn’t say the same.” The remark, while met with laughter from the crowd, risked offending some listeners.
The Event’s Financial Impact
Despite the dramatic and often provocative tone of his speech, the event succeeded in raising a reported $12 million for Trump’s 2024 campaign. However, this sum paled in comparison to the fundraising efforts of Kamala Harris, who raised more than four times that amount in August alone, the first full month of her campaign.
A Contentious Road Ahead
As the 2024 presidential election heats up, Trump’s fundraising dinner in Aspen served as a window into his campaign strategy. With immigration as a central issue and continued attacks on Kamala Harris, Trump is rallying his base with the same rhetoric that propelled him to the presidency in 2016. However, his increasingly inflammatory language, coupled with unsubstantiated claims, continues to fuel controversy and polarization.
The private nature of the Aspen event allowed Trump to be more candid—and coarse—than usual, revealing the extent of his concerns about the future of the country if Harris were to win the election. Whether his fears and fiery rhetoric will resonate with voters in November remains to be seen.
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