Former US President Donald Trump‘s running mate and GOP vice presidential candidate JD Vance faced off against ABC News host Martha Raddatz during a heated interview on Sunday, discussing concerns about Venezuelan migrant gang members in Aurora, Colorado.
The interview followed recent arrests connected to the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA), which were prompted by a viral surveillance video showing armed men breaking down an apartment door.Raddatz challenged Vance on statements made by Donald Trump at a rally in Aurora, where he claimed that migrant gangs were overrunning the city.
“I’m going to stop you because I know exactly what happened. The incidents were limited to a handful of apartment complexes, and the mayor said our dedicated police officers have acted on those concerns,” Raddatz said, as she pressed Vance for clarification.
Vance responded with frustration, saying, “Martha, do you hear yourself? Only a handful of apartment complexes in America were taken over by Venezuelan gangs, and Donald Trump is the problem and not Kamala Harris’ open border?” He added that Americans were fed up with the situation, pointing out the need to make communities “safe” again.
“When you let people in by the millions, most of whom are unvetted, most of whom you don’t know who they really are, you’re going to have problems like this,” he continued, blaming Harris’ policies for the rise in gang-related incidents.
Raddatz countered, asserting, “Let’s just end that with they did not invade or take over the city as Donald Trump said.” Vance sarcastically remarked, “A few apartment complexes, no big deal”, as quoted by Fox News.
Aurora mayor Mike Coffman, a Republican, responded to Trump’s claims, saying that concerns over Venezuelan gang activity had been exaggerated and that the city had not been “taken over” by migrant gangs.