During a campaign speech in Wisconsin on September 28, 2024, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump focused on immigration, criticizing the U.S. government’s handling of the process. He took aim at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) app, which allows immigrants to schedule appointments at ports of entry.
Trump mocked the idea of using a phone app for such purposes, claiming that many people don’t even know what a phone app is. His remarks, made in the small town of Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, became a point of discussion, especially given that Trump himself has his own app-based social media platform.
Trump’s comments about the CBP app quickly went viral after the campaign of his rival, Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, posted a clip of the speech on X (formerly Twitter).
Social media users reacted to Trump’s remarks with surprise, pointing out how widespread app usage has become, especially in 2024. Figures like former tennis star Andy Roddick mocked Trump for being out of touch with modern technology, noting that most people today are familiar with phone apps.
Donald Trump
This incident highlighted the Harris campaign’s strategy of amplifying Trump’s statements through social media, letting users engage and respond to his comments. Alongside the CBP app critique, another moment from the Wisconsin speech gained attention when Trump mentioned a fly on stage, a seemingly off-topic remark that reminded some of the viral 2020 debate moment when a fly landed on Mike Pence’s head.
Trump’s comments about the fly, like his discussion of the app, sparked conversation online, with many drawing comparisons to previous moments in political discourse.
Trump’s attack on the CBP One App is not new. Earlier in September 2024, he referred to it on his social media platform Truth Social, calling it the “Kamala phone app for smuggling illegals.” Trump vowed to close the app if elected, criticizing it as part of his broader stance on immigration.
The app was originally launched during Trump’s presidency in 2020, but its use was expanded under the Biden Administration, which made it a key tool for migrants seeking asylum appointments after the expiration of Title 42. Critics, however, have pointed out that the app struggles to meet the high demand from migrants.
Trump’s speech in Wisconsin came shortly after Kamala Harris visited the U.S.-Mexico border as part of her presidential campaign, marking her first trip to the border since becoming the Democratic nominee.
Harris made statements promoting a balanced approach to immigration, emphasizing the need to secure the border while creating a system that is both safe and humane. Her remarks sought to project a tough stance on immigration while differentiating her approach from Trump’s, underscoring immigration as a key issue in the 2024 election campaign.
