Trump invites Venezuelan pilot of Cuban descent to the stage to talk about the "dangers of socialism"

Former President Donald Trump invited a young Venezuelan of Cuban descent to the stage this Saturday to share his story of how socialism destroyed Cuba and Venezuela.

During the rally, which took place in the city of Wilkes-Barre, Trump let Daniel Campos, a Venezuelan pilot who now lives in Pennsylvania, take the stage to tell how he escaped socialism in Venezuela and how his grandparents fled Cuba for the same reason.

“It is important that we understand that what happened in our countries in Latin America can happen here,” Campos began. “My grandparents are from Cuba, they left because of communism and arrived in Venezuela without any base and with little money.”

“When [Hugo] Chávez carried out the coup d'état and later became president, my grandfather tried to warn everyone that the same thing would happen as in Cuba, but no one paid attention to him,” he said.

And he added: “In the end, Chávez stayed in power and 20 years later, here we are.”

Campos assured that, if socialism has already destroyed other places, it could also destroy the United States.

“Don't think that because the United States, with a great economy, can't pass,” he said. “It can happen and we are on track unless we take a different step and Trump is the best person to do it.” 

The pilot’s warning comes after Trump referred to Vice President Kamala Harris' economic policy as the "Maduro plan," and aligns with the Trump campaign message that the United States risks becoming a communist country if those serving in the Biden-Harris administration remains in power.

Hoy Donald Trump llevó al escenario a un joven venezolano cuyos ancestros son cubanos, para que explique a los estadounidenses como el socialismo destruyó a nuestros países.

Todos piensan que es imposible que llegue a sus países, hasta que ocurre:pic.twitter.com/4zWsdBrzrM

— Emmanuel Rincón (@EmmaRincon) August 18, 2024

As Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump continue to strive to win the hearts and minds of swing voters in battleground states, the Hispanic vote in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has come to the fore.

Although Pennsylvania does not have as large a Hispanic population as states like Arizona, Florida and Texas, Latinos make up about 7.5% of the state's voting population.

According to Latino advocacy groups like Mi Familia Vota and UnidosUS, 21% of Pennsylvania's Hispanic and Latino community will vote in their first presidential election this year.

Now Trump and his Republican advisers aim to amplify his support among Hispanic American and Latino voters in Pennsylvania, which many believe could be a decisive state in the presidential election.