Aurora's mayor rejects Donald Trump's “vastly exaggerated” claims after rally

Mike Coffman, the Republican mayor of Aurora, Colorado, released a statement after former President Donald Trump's rally in the city on Friday in which he called comments about Venezuelan gang activity in his city “vastly exaggerated” and said they had “The city’s identity has been unfairly violated.” Sense of security.”

In a statement sent to Newsweek, Coffman said, in part: “Again, the reality is that concerns about Venezuelan gang activity in our city – and our state – have been grossly exaggerated and have unfairly hurt the city's identity and sense of security.”

“The city and the state have not been 'taken over' or 'invaded' or 'occupied' by migrant gangs,” said Coffman's statement, adding that the incidents in the city were “limited” to a few apartment complexes and that police “have responded to these concerns.”

Aurora gained national attention in August after a video circulated online showing armed Venezuelan gang members ransacking an apartment complex in the city. Trump has seized on the story to support his claims that the Biden administration's immigration policies have allowed violent criminals to cross the southern border.

“They were tough, the ones that came in,” Trump told his supporters during his rally on Friday. At one point during the event, he also claimed that Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris had “infested” buildings in Aurora with gang members.

Coffman said in his statement that “thousands of people” attended Trump's rally on Friday, “some of whom may have been visiting Aurora for the first time and who were able to see firsthand the mischaracterizations of our great community.”

“I am disappointed that the former president was not able to experience more of our city for himself,” the mayor added.