Donald Trump reacted this Friday to the massive migratory crisis that overwhelmed Ceuta, the Spanish enclave in North Africa, calling it an "invasion" and a "disaster" and turning the images of chaos into a campaign argument for the upcoming U.S. midterm elections on November 3rd.
In statements to Fox News from the presidential retreat of Camp David, where he was holding a cabinet meeting, Trump was straightforward: "It's terrible. Remember that image. That's going to happen to us in three years if the wrong side comes to power," referring to a potential Democratic victory.
The president went further in a second round of statements, warning that the situation in the United States could be much worse than that of Ceuta: "If we are not in power, our country will be invaded to levels that will make Spain seem small."
Trump described the situation in the Spanish enclave as a direct consequence of permissive policies: "They are coming in by the tens of thousands, simply invading the country, and that is due to weak law enforcement, poor management, and very progressive laws."
Regarding the consequences for Americans if the Democrats regain power, the president was emphatic: "If the Democrats come to power, you will not live a very good life."
The crisis that prompted these statements erupted on Thursday, when tens of thousands of people from Morocco crossed the Ceuta border irregularly, in what is deemed the worst migration emergency in the enclave since 2021.
The Spanish Ministry of the Interior estimated irregular entries at around 50,000, while the local government of Ceuta raised the figure to over 60,000 people.
The death toll during the crossings rose throughout the day: initial official figures reported at least 18 fatalities, while other sources increased the total to 57 bodies found along the coast of Ceuta.
More than 37,500 people had already returned to Morocco, according to the Ministry of the Interior, by the end of this Friday.
The President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, described the event as an "attack" and "a violation of Spain's territorial integrity," and vowed to use all state resources to respond.
From Washington, the response was equally firm, although it pointed in a different direction: the State Department accused Sánchez's government of "facilitating mass illegal immigration to Europe," without making any reference to Morocco, a U.S. ally.
"This unacceptable incident is the direct result of the Spanish government's deliberate efforts to facilitate and promote massive illegal migration to Europe," stated the State Department in a social media message.
The Trump administration also indicated that it is "considering actions to protect Americans both domestically and abroad from this threat" and offered assistance to European nations contemplating "similar options."
The crisis had immediate repercussions on the continent: three countries in the European Union requested the expulsion of Spain from the Schengen area, and Italy declared the temporary suspension of the Schengen agreement in the context of the migration emergency.
Trump had already warned months ago about the risks of European immigration policy.
With the midterm elections just over three months away, the president turned the images of Ceuta into the central visual argument of his campaign on Friday: "No one has seen anything like it, and it will seem good compared to what is going to happen to the United States."
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