Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, has sparked a social media frenzy by uploading an incendiary video on his Truth Social platform that targets rival Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.
Trump shared the clip titled “Criminals For Harris” with a caption that led to mixed reactions from critics and ironic ones for him given his own recent conviction as a criminal.
The one-minute video claims that whilst she was a prosecutor in California, Harris released three individuals—Edwin Ramos, Roni Aguilera, and Alexander Izaguir—who were branded as “illegal aliens” and criminal offenders.
“What does Kamala have in common with these criminals?” asked the narrator in the video before saying Harris released them back into the community. Other things it alleges is that she is currently advocating for defunding cops, removing cash bondings and allowing all illegal immigrants to become citizens of America.
Notably, Trump is facing legal challenges himself after being convicted of hush money payments. This context caused online excitement as some people started making fun of Trump’s endorsement of Harris.
For instance, one user wrote: “BREAKING – Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump officially endorses Kamala Harris! The former felon wrote ‘Criminals for Kamala.'” Similarly, another user said “I did not have Trump joining Criminals for Kamala on my Bingo Card.”
Information about cases highlighted in the video
The individuals captured on this short film have diverse and intricate legal backgrounds. Edwin Ramos was found guilty in 2012 for killing Anthony Bologna and his two sons in San Francisco. At the time of this incident when she served as San Francisco District Attorney (DA), Harris sought life imprisonment without parole rather than capital punishment.
In 2008 Alexander Izaguirre who was an illegal immigrant from Honduras joined ‘Back on Track’ program by Kamala which aimed at providing job training opportunities to non-violent offenders. Nevertheless, the loophole of this program enabled Izaguirre to escape the jail sentence which is the point that video is emphasizing.
In 2013, Roni Aguilera was convicted for a gang attack in San Francisco, which he later boasted about during a taped conversation with a government informant.
Public and political responses
The video and Trump’s comments have led to discussion about former President’s motivation and meaning of his post. Though critics pointed out how it was ironic for someone who had been convicted on criminal charges to accuse an opponent of favoring criminals while supporters view it as a valid assault on Harris’ career as DA.
