This past weekend, former President Donald Trump made a rare appearance in campaign events in Colorado and California, both states where he is projected to fare poorly in the upcoming 2024 election. During his speeches, he described these locations in very negative terms.

He referred to Aurora, Colorado, as a “war zone,” voicing concerns about Venezuelan gangs—a claim the city’s mayor has described as “greatly exaggerated.” He labeled California a “paradise lost,” blaming Vice President Kamala Harris for its deterioration. These remarks followed his disparagement of Detroit at a rally there just days earlier.

According to Costas Panagopoulos, a political science professor at Northeastern University, Trump may not be focusing on swing states to gain voters, but rather to communicate with his supporters elsewhere.

“It’s not a coincidence that Trump chooses these events to create an impression that he is willing to confront challenges and engage with unfriendly environments on issues crucial to his campaign,” Panagopoulos told YSL News.

“Being physically present in these areas can make it seem like he knows what he’s talking about when discussing specific issues,” he added.

Aurora, Colorado, mayor says Trump’s claims ‘grossly exaggerated’

At a presidential debate, Trump indicated that Aurora was overrun by Venezuelan gangs, and he reiterated this claim during a rally in Aurora on Friday, describing the city as a “war zone.”

The city’s Republican Mayor Mike Coffman expressed hope that Trump would acknowledge that Aurora is safe but was let down by the limited time Trump spent in the area.

“I cannot emphasize enough that Trump’s remarks on Friday reiterated claims that have been previously addressed with factual responses,” Coffman stated in a message to YSL News on Monday. “In reality, concerns regarding Venezuelan gang presence in both our city and state have been greatly overstated, negatively impacting our city’s reputation and residents’ sense of safety.”

Trump did not win Colorado in the 2016 or 2020 elections, and current polling suggests Harris is ahead of Trump by over 10 percentage points, as per FiveThirtyEight.

California is a ‘paradise lost,’ Trump vows to restore it

During a rally in southern California’s Coachella Valley on Saturday, Trump criticized the state and held Harris responsible for its situation.

“The radical-left Democrats have destroyed this state, but we are going to save it and make it better than ever,” Trump asserted.

He also made claims about immigrant violence in California, despite evidence suggesting that immigrants do not commit crimes at a higher rate than native-born citizens, referring to California as a “paradise lost.”

While the rally attracted thousands, California remains a solidly Democratic state. Trump lost there by almost 30 percentage points in 2020, and recent polls show Harris consistently ahead of Trump by 20 points, according to FiveThirtyEight.

Trump warns US will turn into Detroit if Harris wins at Detroit rally

At a rally in Detroit on Thursday, Trump harshly criticized the city, which many residents feel is improving.

“The entire country will become like, do you want to know the truth? It’ll be like Detroit. If she becomes your president, you’ll end up with a disaster,” he said.

In contrast to Colorado and California, Michigan is a critical swing state.

These remarks were reminiscent of assertions he made leading up to the Republican National Convention, where he described Milwaukee as a “terrible city,” despite Wisconsin being another key swing state.

In the 2020 election, the counties encompassing Detroit and Milwaukee voted for President Joe Biden by over 35 percentage points.