Former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee for the upcoming 2024 presidential election, delivered a pointed critique of the government’s immigration processes during a campaign speech in Prairie Du Chien, Wisconsin, on Saturday, September 28. As border issues take center stage in the election, Trump targeted the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) mobile application, known as the CBP One App, which is designed to streamline various immigration services.
Trump expressed his disdain for the app, suggesting that its existence allows immigrants to navigate the immigration system too easily. “They have a phone app so that people can come into our country… these are smart immigrants, I guess, because most people don’t have any idea what the hell a phone app is,” he said to a crowd of about 5,500 people gathered at the Prairie Du Chien Area Arts Center.
His comments prompted a swift response from the campaign of Vice President and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, which shared a video clip of Trump’s remarks on X (formerly Twitter). The post highlighted Trump’s suggestion that many people are unfamiliar with smartphone applications.
Social media users reacted with surprise, pointing out the absurdity of Trump’s assertion. Former tennis star Andy Roddick quipped, “I feel like most people know what a phone app is,” while others noted that Trump himself operates a social media platform, Truth Social, which includes an app component. One commenter asked, “How out of touch with reality do you have to be to believe most people don’t know what a phone app is?”
The Harris campaign’s strategy appears to involve posting clips from Trump’s speeches to leverage the internet’s viral nature, drawing attention to his remarks. Other clips shared included Trump commenting on a fly that landed on stage during his speech. “Oh, there’s a fly. Oh, I wonder where the fly came from,” Trump said, referencing a similar moment involving Vice President Mike Pence during the 2020 debate against Harris.
This is not the first time Trump has targeted the CBP One App, previously labeling it the “Kamala phone app for smuggling illegals” on his Truth Social account and pledging to eliminate it if elected. Interestingly, the app was launched on October 28, 2020, during Trump’s presidency, and the Biden Administration expanded its use in January 2023, particularly after the end of Title 42, which had allowed for expedited deportations.
Despite its intended function, immigration rights advocates have criticized the CBP One App for failing to meet the growing demand from migrants seeking asylum in the U.S. Trump’s focus on immigration comes on the heels of Harris’s recent visit to the U.S.-Mexico border, where she emphasized a balanced approach to border security and immigration reform.
“I reject the false choice that suggests we must choose either between securing our border and creating a system that is orderly, safe, and humane,” Harris stated. “We can and we must do both.” As the election approaches, immigration continues to be a contentious topic, shaping the strategies of both candidates.