Trump suggests he wants to send Americans 'that don't work' to other countries
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during an event to honor "Angel Families" who have lost family members to crimes committed by people in the country illegally, at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 23, 2026. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein

President Donald Trump suggested he would like to load up Americans "that don't work" in caravans and send them to other countries.

At an event with so-called Angel Families on Monday, Trump claimed other countries had done exactly that to the U.S. — rounding up their unemployed and undesirable residents and sending them to the U.S.

He said he understands why they did it — and he would do the same, given the chance.

"And I would do exactly what they did if the United States would be willing to take all of our criminals and people or people that don't work," he added.

"But they are smart people. I got to know most of those leaders. I know them. I said, what are you doing? They said, look, it was a totally open border. They saved hundreds of millions of dollars."

Angel Families refers to American families who have lost loved ones to crimes committed by individuals in the U.S. unlawfully.

He claimed the world leaders have taken advantage of a weak border in the U.S. — and he then revisited old, and debunked, claims that the 2020 election had been "rigged."

"If that election wasn't rigged, every single one of the people in this room right now would not be here," he told the Angel Family members in attendance. "You know, when countries fill up the caravans, they don't fill them up with their finest. I wouldn't."