Trump calls US 'garbage can for the world' in latest anti-immigrant rhetoric

Former President Donald Trump escalated his anti-immigrant rhetoric astatine a rally successful battleground Arizona connected Thursday, calling nan United States a "garbage tin for nan world."

"We're a dumping ground. We're for illustration a -- we're for illustration a garbage tin for nan world. That's what, that's what's happened to us. We're for illustration a garbage can," Trump said astatine a rally successful Tempe, Arizona, connected Thursday.

Trump made nan comments arsenic he criticized nan Biden-Harris management for its handling of nan border, a cardinal elector rumor -- particularly successful Arizona, a separator authorities and plaything authorities that President Joe Biden flipped to separator retired Trump by 0.3 percent points successful 2020. Trump besides made nan comments pinch little than 2 weeks until Election Day -- and arsenic nan erstwhile president and Vice President Kamala Harris duke it retired successful what's expected to beryllium a adjacent contest.

The erstwhile president went connected to declare that criminals and different bad figures are from each complete nan world are coming into nan state unchecked.

"First clip I've ever said 'garbage can,'" Trump said. "But you cognize what? It's a very meticulous description."

Republican statesmanlike nominee erstwhile President Donald Trump speaks astatine a run arena astatine Mullett Arena, Oct. 24, 2024, successful Tempe, Ariz.

Matt York/AP

Harris told reporters successful Houston connected Friday that Trump's assertion that America is simply a "garbage tin for nan world" "belittles our country."

"This is personification who is simply a erstwhile president of nan United States, who has a bully pulpit, and this is really he uses it, to show nan remainder of nan world that someway nan United States of America is trash," Harris said. "And I think, again, nan president of nan United States should beryllium personification who elevates sermon and talks astir nan champion of who we are and put successful nan champion of who we are, not personification for illustration Donald Trump, who is perpetually demeaning and belittling who nan American group are."

While nan "garbage can" remarks whitethorn beryllium a first for Trump to utter astatine a rally, it's not nan first clip he has utilized anti-immigrant rhetoric -- now a communal constituent astatine his events. Since he began campaigning for president this cycle, Trump has said immigrants are "poisoning nan humor of our country" and called them "criminals" who will "cut your throat."

Earlier this year, Trump repeated mendacious claims astir Haitian migrants successful Springfield, Ohio, eating nan dogs and cats of nan town's residents. Notably, Trump mentioned nan baseless claims -- which were amplified by right-wing politicians, including vice statesmanlike nominee Sen. JD Vance – on nan statesmanlike statement stage.

Creations Market shop proprietor Philomene Philostin, a naturalized US national of Haitian origin, shelves merchandise successful her shop that caters chiefly to Haitian residents successful Springfield, Ohio, connected Sept. 13, 2024.

Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images

Earlier this month, nan erstwhile president utilized anti-immigrant rhetoric during an question and reply connected Newsmax's "Rob Schmitt Tonight" to disparage galore of nan ineligible Haitian migrants surviving successful Springfield Ohio, referring to their impermanent protective position arsenic "a definite small trick."

"Look astatine Springfield, wherever 30,000 forbidden immigrants dropped, and it was, they whitethorn person done it done a definite small trick, but they are forbidden immigrants arsenic acold arsenic I'm concerned," said Trump. "They're destroying nan municipality … they'll extremity up destroying nan state. We cannot fto this happen."

He has besides called for nan information up and deportation of millions of migrants surviving successful nan U.S. without ineligible permission.

Also successful October, nan erstwhile president suggested he believes that migrants person it "in their genes" to execution people, adding "we sewage a batch of bad genes successful our country."

"How astir allowing group to travel done an unfastened separator -- 13,000 of which were murderers, galore of them murdered acold much than 1 person, and they're now happily surviving successful nan United States. You cognize now a murderer, I judge this, it's successful their genes. And we sewage a batch of bad genes successful our state correct now," Trump said during an question and reply connected nan "Hugh Hewitt Show."

Despite nan fact that U.S. citizens perpetrate crimes astatine higher rates than undocumented immigrants, Trump painted them arsenic "criminals" who will "cut your throat" astatine a run extremity successful Wisconsin successful September.

"And you retrieve erstwhile they opportunity no, no, these are migrants and these migrants, they don't perpetrate crimes for illustration us," Trump said. "No, no, they make our criminals look for illustration babies. These are stone-cold killers. They'll locomotion into your kitchen, they'll trim your throat."

Trump besides featured anti-immigrant rhetoric successful his 2016 White House bid -- often casting them arsenic rapists and supplier traffickers.

ABC News' Will McDuffie, Fritz Farrow and Gabriella Abdul-Hakim contributed to this report.