Republican Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance appeared shocked Sunday on ABC News when co-host Martha Raddatz interrupted him mid-statement and attempted to downplay Venezuelan gangs’ takeover of Colorado apartment complexes.
The Tren de Aragua gang made U.S. headlines in September after officials confirmed ten members were involved in an investigation into a string of alleged criminal incidents at an Aurora, Colorado apartment complex, according to FOX 31. On ABC’s “This Week,” Raddatz pressed Vance on former President Donald Trump’s response, noting Trump claimed the city had been “invaded and conquered” by migrants, while the mayor called the statement “grossly exaggerated.”
“Well, Martha, you just said the mayor said they were exaggerated. That means that there’s gotta be some element of truth here,” Vance began. “Of course, President Trump was actually in Aurora, Colorado talking to people on the ground, and what we’re hearing is people are terrified by what has happened with some of these Venezuelan gangs — ”
“Senator Vance, I’m going to stop you because I know exactly what happened. I’m going to stop you. The incidents were limited to a handful of apartment complexes and the mayor said, ‘Our dedicated police officers have acted on those concerns.’ A handful of problems,” Raddatz said.
Vance pushed back on Raddatz, questioning her issue with Trump and her refusal to acknowledge that U.S. apartment complexes are “being taken over by violent gangs.”
“Only, Martha? Do you hear yourself? Only a handful of apartment complexes were taken over by Venezuelan gangs, and Donald Trump is the problem, not Kamala Harris’ open border? Americans are so fed up with what’s going on, and they have every right to be,” Vance responded. “I really find this exchange, Martha, sort of interesting because you seem to be more focused with nitpicking everything that Donald Trump has said, rather than acknowledging that apartment complexes in the United States of America are being taken over by violent gangs.”
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“I worry so much more about that problem than anything else here. We’ve got to get American communities in a safe space again, and unfortunately, when you let people in by the millions — most of whom are unvetted, most of whom you don’t know who they really are — you’re going to have problems like this,” Vance added. “Kamala Harris — 94 executive orders that undid Donald Trump’s successful border policies, we knew this stuff would happen. They bragged about opening the border, and now we have the consequences and we’re living with it. We can do so much better, but frankly we’re not going to do better, Martha, unless Donald Trump calls this stuff out.”
The Venezuelan gang, which reportedly began as a prison gang in 2014 in the northern Venezuelan state of Aragua, has rapidly grown into one of the country’s largest criminal organizations. In mid-September, the Aurora Police Department confirmed that ten gang members in the area had been living in the city “and committing acts of violence against members of the migrant community,” according to FOX 31.
In response, property management company CBZ Management allegedly shut down three locations in the city — Edge at Lowry, Fitzsimons Place, and Whispering Pines — due to being “taken over” by the gang, according to the Denver Post. Charges against the arrested group include felony menacing, assault, motor vehicle theft and numerous shootings.
While speaking at a rally in Aurora on Friday, Trump addressed the ongoing migrant issue with supporters, reflecting on how the gang has been “taking over” the city.
“I will rescue Aurora and every town that has been invaded and conquered,” Trump stated.
However, Republican Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman released a statement a day earlier, claiming the “reality” is that concerns over gang activity in the city and state have been “grossly exaggerated and have unfairly hurt the city’s identity and sense of safety.”
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Authorities identified the suspected shooter in Kirk’s assassination as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, after a family friend tipped off law enforcement Thursday evening. In an appearance on “Kudlow,” Mauro laid out what he called the timeline of the suspect’s escape and subsequent surrender.
“By the end of 9-11, the father has called a retired U.S. Marshal. This town down south, St. George, has a lot of retirees. It’s kind of a retirement community. He knew this guy. He calls that guy and tells him, ‘My son is the perpetrator,’” Mauro told Larry Kudlow. “Unclear if the son had admitted it or not. But apparently what was going on is that the family was concerned that if they didn’t turn him in, somebody else was going to, and it was a fear that they could be, as the police call it, a kinetic entry.”
Mauro said the family of the alleged Kirk assassin feared a violent confrontation if authorities discovered his location first, prompting them to arrange a peaceful surrender.
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“That is to say, the cops come booming the doors, taking them in a rougher way, and maybe something goes sideways. The kid could get hurt or worse. So they wanted to prevent that. The family wanted to make sure that this was done orderly. They knew that the gig was up and that he was going to get arrested. They then went with either this second person, the retiree, or a minister. And a minister in Latter-day Saints is different from ministers that you and I think about.”
Mauro said the suspect’s family bypassed traditional law enforcement channels and brought him directly to the Washington County Jail.
“It’s a much more immediate relationship. Some sort of crew like this went to the sheriff’s office. And that’s why he was in the custody of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. That’s a jail. They run the jails,” Mauro said. “They went right to the jail, gave them up to the Washington County Sheriff. There must have been some connection there. Somebody knew somebody. They took him in. The sheriff notifies the task force, and you know the rest.”
Authorities say Robinson fatally shot Kirk as he spoke to students at Utah Valley University. After recognizing his son in photos released by investigators, Robinson’s father confronted the 22-year-old and alerted law enforcement, according to sources cited by the New York Post.
Robinson reportedly told his father he’d rather take his own life than surrender, according to the outlet. His father urged him to speak with their youth pastor, who happened to be affiliated with the U.S. Marshals fugitive task force.
Republican Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said Friday that investigators discovered taunting and vulgar phrases etched onto the shell casings used in the shooting such as “Hey fascist! Catch!” and “If you read this you are gay LMAO.” Another inscription referenced “bella ciao,” a wartime Italian folk song later adopted by leftist resistance movements, according to George Mason University.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox revealed on Friday that shell casings used by Charlie Kirk’s alleged shooter had inscriptions on them.
Cox said investigators determined the alleged shooter, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, used a bolt action rifle, which was discovered on the edge of Utah Valley University’s campus wrapped in a dark colored towel. Cox said the rifle had a scope on it.
Cox listed four bullet casings with written inscriptions. The casing that had been fired read “notices bulges OWO what’s this?”
Three other casings that had not been fired also had inscriptions on them. One casing read “hey fascist! catch!” with an up arrow symbol, right arrow symbols and three down arrow symbols, Cox said.
Another casing with an inscription read “oh bella ciao bella ciao bella ciao ciao ciao,” Cox said.
The fourth casing recovered by investigators read “if you are reading this, you’re gay lmao.”
Cox said a family member of Tyler Robinson, the alleged shooter, told investigators he had becomes “more political” in recent years.
Cox called on the public to display unity following Kirk’s shooting.
“History will dictate if this is a turning point for our country,” Gov. Cox said. “Every single one of us gets to choose right now if this is a turning point for us.”
