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Despite trailing in state polls and having lost twice in New Mexico, Donald Trump expressed confidence on Thursday that Hispanic voters could help deliver him an unlikely victory in the state when votes are counted next week.

鈥淲e almost won it twice, and I believe we won it twice,鈥� Trump said to an estimated crowd of 7,000 people who gathered at a private hangar near the sa国际传媒官网网页入口 International Sunport for the former president鈥檚 campaign rally.

Trump touched down in his private airplane just after noon and spoke for nearly 90 minutes before departing for another campaign stop in Nevada.

He spent much of his speech criticizing his Democratic rival, Kamala Harris, whom he described as a 鈥渢otal stiff,鈥� and voicing concerns about crimes committed by undocumented immigrants.

But Trump also touted his growing support levels among Hispanic voters, saying 鈥淗ispanics love Trump.鈥�

A recent Journal poll found 41% of Hispanic voters surveyed in New Mexico expressing support for the former president. That support level was above what most Republican candidates have received in recent New Mexico statewide elections, even though most Hispanic voters surveyed still supported Harris.

At one point during his speech, Trump asked the crowd whether they preferred the term 鈥淟atino鈥� or 鈥淗ispanic鈥� 鈥� most, by their applause, appeared to prefer the latter 鈥� and described his visit to New Mexico as 鈥済ood for my credentials with the Hispanic or Latino community.鈥�

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham accused Trump after his Thursday rally of 鈥渦sing鈥� New Mexico to bolster his ego and political ambitions.

鈥淭o just admit he was only here as a prop I thought was so disrespectful,鈥� Lujan Grisham told the Journal.

She also blasted Trump鈥檚 election victory claims, as President Joe Biden defeated then-incumbent Trump in New Mexico by 11 percentage points 鈥� or roughly 100,000 votes 鈥� in 2020.

鈥淚t is really outrageous that he continues to lie to the folks of New Mexico,鈥� Lujan Grisham said.

Trump accused Harris of speaking with 鈥渨ords all over the place,鈥� but at times rambled during his own speech, such as commenting on how many F-35 fighter jets he鈥檚 bought when a jet flew by 鈥� 鈥減ersonally, I like the F-22 the best,鈥� he added 鈥� and crediting his administration with defeating the Islamic State group after talking about rebuilding the military.

He also repeatedly said 鈥渢he fake news鈥� doesn鈥檛 depict his rallies or policies accurately, telling Thursday鈥檚 rallygoers to 鈥渓ook at this group鈥� of media members standing in a sectioned-off area of the crowd.

The Trump rally also provided a platform to several New Mexico Republicans running in this year鈥檚 general election, as U.S. Senate candidate Nella Domenici and 2nd Congressional District candidate Yvette Herrell both spoke at the event.

Herrell, who is locked in a hotly contested race with Democrat Gabe Vasquez, said that Republicans are going to 鈥渃lose the southern border once and for all.鈥�

Domenici, for her part, called for a 鈥渘ew day鈥� in New Mexico.

鈥淚t鈥檚 time to bring back Donald Trump and it鈥檚 time to bring back a Domenici,鈥� she said, referring to her late father, former longtime U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici.

Domenici, who up until recently had refused to say whether she planned to vote for Trump, told the Journal after Thursday鈥檚 rally she agreed with much of the former president鈥檚 message.

鈥淭he key message I agree with is we don鈥檛 have to be in decline,鈥� she said in an interview.

鈥楧rill, baby, drill鈥�

At one point during his speech, Trump vowed to end 鈥�(former President Barack) Obama鈥檚 war on American energy鈥� and alleged that Harris would destroy more than 90,000 oil and gas jobs in New Mexico by banning fracking.

鈥淚f Kamala is elected, New Mexico鈥檚 economy would be reduced to rubble,鈥� Trump said.

Harris has maintained on the campaign trail she would not ban fracking, though she voiced support for such a move while running for president in 2019.

Trump also said Harris鈥� policies would destroy 35% of New Mexico鈥檚 budget, which is roughly the percentage of revenue provided by taxes and royalties on the oil and gas industries.

But New Mexico House Speaker Javier Mart铆nez, D-sa国际传媒官网网页入口, described that claim as another lie from Trump.

鈥淭he fact of the matter is that New Mexico is an oil and gas-producing state, and I鈥檓 also proud that we have some of the most pro-climate statutes in the entire country,鈥� Mart铆nez told the Journal. 鈥淲e can do both.鈥�

New Mexico has seen its revenue levels surge over the past three-plus years, due largely to a boom in oil production in the Permian Basin. The state is now the second-largest oil producer in the nation 鈥� behind only Texas 鈥� and New Mexico oil drove nearly half of the United States鈥� total oil production growth last year, according to legislative data.

Trump also said he would end Harris鈥� 100% electric vehicle mandate if elected. There is currently no existing EV mandate under Biden and it remains largely unclear what Harris鈥� plans around EVs are, though she鈥檚 supported Biden鈥檚 increasingly tough clean vehicle regulations.

Trump also complained about high inflation rates and the state of the economy, saying a Trump administration would end 鈥渢he inflation nightmare immediately and create a record jobs boom.鈥�

鈥淵ou know how we鈥檙e going to get them down? We鈥檙e going to drill, baby, drill,鈥� Trump said, evoking cheers from the crowd.

Immigration claims

Trump claimed New Mexico has seen millions of people come across its section of the southern border, including 10,000 convicted criminals and thousands of undocumented immigrant gang members.

In the 2024 fiscal year, U.S. Border Patrol reported 1.5 million migrant encounters in the Southwest, compared with 2 million encounters in the previous fiscal year. Additionally, Border Patrol reported 523 gang-affiliated apprehensions nationwide in the 2024 budget year.

鈥淥ne of the biggest reasons we will win this state is that you have among the worst border problems of any state in America, and I am the only one that knows how to fix it,鈥� he said.

Trump specifically referenced the 2021 case of an 鈥渋llegal alien criminal鈥� convicted of murder in Las Cruces, which happened when he was out on an unsecured bond 鈥� Joel Arciniega-Saenz. However, Arciniega-Saenz鈥檚 place of birth was the U.S., according to the .

Trump鈥檚 visit marked the first New Mexico campaign stop by either of the leading presidential candidates in this year鈥檚 election cycle.

However, Lujan Grisham pointed out Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz recently visited the Navajo Nation.

Trump, who previously held two campaign stops in sa国际传媒官网网页入口 in 2016 and one in Rio Rancho in 2019, said some of his campaign staffers had counseled him not to visit the state this year.

鈥淭hey all said don鈥檛 come. I said, why? 鈥榊ou can鈥檛 win New Mexico,鈥欌�� Trump said. 鈥淚 said, 鈥楲ook, your votes are rigged. We can win New Mexico.鈥欌��