When Trump Claimed He Spoke to Ruby Garcia's Family and They Accused Him of Politicizing Her Death

The family of Ruby Garcia was upset with former President Donald Trump, claiming he lied during a speech where he said he spoke to them and criticized him for politicizing Ruby’s death. Ruby was murdered on March 22, and the perpetrator, Brandon Ortiz-Vite, confessed to the crime. Ortiz-Vite, an immigrant protected under DACA, committed the crime, Trump's speech in Grand Rapids, Michigan, falsely claimed he had spoken to Ruby's family, which her sister Mavi Garcia refuted. She expressed 'shock' at Trump's false claim and clarified that neither Trump nor anyone from his campaign had contacted them.

During his address on Tuesday night, Trump expressed his frustrations about immigration while aiming for the tragedy, saying, "Now Ruby's loved ones and community are left grieving for this incredible young woman, remembering what they called her. They said she had just this most contagious laughter, and when she walked into a room, she lit up that room. And I’ve heard that from so many people. I spoke to some of her family," as per Mediaite. The person who is accused of Ruby's death was her boyfriend, illegally in the country and is originally from Mexico. 

However, Ruby's family claims that Trump was lying. Mavi, the sister of Ruby, told the local TV news station Target 8, "He did not speak with any of us, so it was kind of shocking seeing that he had said that he had spoken with us, and ... misinforming people on live TV." Trump stirred up fear about the southern border by taking advantage of Ruby's unfortunate death. To seem like he cared, he also made up a story about having spoken with the bereaved family. Critics rebuked Trump for his falsehoods on Twitter. One commenter expressed outrage, stating, "What a sick lying asswipe. How can he stand there and openly lie about speaking with family members, usually nothing surprises me about the clown but this is way beyond disgusting." Another cynically remarked, "Imagine anyone being shocked that Trump lied about anything." Meanwhile, a more light-hearted response quipped, "What? He LIED?!? I’m shocked, I tell you! SHOCKED! (Not really.)"

Ruby was romantically involved with an illegal immigrant, 25-year-old Ortiz-Vite, according to the police. Ruby's body was discovered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on the side of the highway on March 22. She had died from gunshot wounds. After being taken into custody, the suspect admitted to the crime. "Ortiz-Vite came to the country ‘unlawfully’ as a child and was given legal status through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, but that expired in 2019. He was deported in 2020, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, but returned illegally to the U.S. at ‘an unknown date." "This is another case of a domestic violence homicide that we’ve seen, quite frankly, far too often over the last few years," said Chris Becker, the Kent County prosecutor, regarding the crime, as per USA Today.

Editor's note: This article was originally published on April 3, 2024. It has since been updated.