Trump says 'terrible' Spain migrant crisis warning for US

President Donald Trump sought to make political capital out of the migration crisis in Spain on Friday, casting the sudden surge of migrants into the territory of Ceuta as a warning for the United States if his opponents get into power.

"It's terrible. Remember that picture. That's going to be us in three years if the wrong side gets in," he told Fox News.

What did Trump say about the Ceuta migrant crisis?

Trump called the situation in Ceuta "terrible" and warned it showed what the United States would face if Democrats returned to power. "If the Democrats get in, you will not live a very good life," he told Fox News.

The White House messaging focused on linking the crisis in Ceuta, a tiny Spanish territory on the Moroccan coast, to Trump's signature immigration crackdowns at home.

Why is Trump using the Spain migrant crisis politically?

Polls show Trump's support has fallen into the low 30 percent range, while Democrats hope to win at least the House of Representatives in November's midterm elections.

The Ceuta crisis offers Republicans a chance to return to one of their political strongpoints. Trump's 2024 election victory over Democrat Kamala Harris was fueled in part by voter worries over uncontrolled migration on the US-Mexico border and his lurid warnings about migrants.

What have other Trump officials said about Ceuta?

Vice President JD Vance posted news footage on Friday of migrants pouring into Ceuta on X, writing it highlighted "radical left-wing globalist policies that have enabled the Invasion of the West."

"These images out of Spain are an unfortunate reminder of the consequences of mass migration," Vance wrote.

Late Thursday, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, a chief architect of Trump's anti-migration crackdown, posted video of the Ceuta crisis and said Democrats would "see your home trampled and stolen by invaders and they will rejoice."