Latest updates: Trump announces that Mexico border wall is three weeks away from completion during Bronx rally

Former President Donald Trump made a bold and bizarre claim during a rally in the Bronx, stating that “illegal migrants are building an army.” This statement was made during his first rally in New York City in eight years, where he also boasted about his border wall and attacked illegal immigration.

Trump told his supporters at Crotona Park in the South Bronx that his US-Mexico border wall was just three weeks away from completion when he left the White House, despite only a fraction of the barrier being erected by January 2021. He also promised a major mass deportation operation if he were to regain the Oval Office and pledged to indemnify police officers against prosecution.

The former president used the occasion to make a series of false claims about his record in office and praised Hungary’s “strongman” prime minister Viktor Orban. This rally comes after a significant week for Trump in the courts, with Manhattan prosecutors and defense attorneys resting their cases in his high-profile hush money trial.

Despite the legal challenges he faces, Trump seemed energized by the support of his followers in New York City. The rally was attended by a large crowd of MAGA loyalists, many of whom sported his signature red caps. The event showcased the continued enthusiasm of his base and the divisive rhetoric that has defined his political career.