CHICAGO _ Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Wednesday told a Northwest Side Polish fraternal group that Democrat Hillary Clinton is "grossly incompetent."
In Chicago to raise money at a suburban fundraiser, Trump talked to about 200 people at the Polish National Alliance headquarters, where someone had spray painted "F--k Trumf" and "Traitors" outside the north side entrance doors.
The controversial candidate spoke for about for 18 minutes in very muted, if not hushed tones, in sharp contrast to his normally rally persona as he appealed to Polish-American voters and contended elected Hillary Clinton would be worse than another four years of President Barack Obama.
"We're going to have a Trump administration that's going to get things done, that's going to lower taxes. Hillary Clinton, who I happen to believe is grossly incompetent, she's going to raise taxes," Trump said. "I happen to believe that she'd be very, very bad for our country. I think it would be worse than four more years of Obama. It would actually be worse and it won't be great for the people you're representing and it won't be great for the people of our country because we have a chance to really make America great again.
"Whether it's tax, whether it's trade, whether it's regulation, there's so many different things we're going to do. But we're going to spur growth and we're going to spur growth in the right direction, not the wrong direction," he said.
Trump's visit comes after he has spent weeks putting a spotlight on Chicago's street violence problem, citing the high number of homicides and killings and calling the city "war torn" during Monday night's presidential debate. He has suggested Chicago should employ controversial "stop-and-frisk" police tactics to stem the violence and suggested the shootings could be stopped in a week if cops were allowed to be "very much tougher."
During his remarks Wednesday morning, the GOP standard-bearer read from a brief statement about Poland but often deviated from his prepared remarks, though not for his traditional bombast.
"During the Cold War, Poland kept the flame of freedom under Communists oppression," he said, calling it a "beacon," and noting the country provided 28,000 troops as part of the U.S.-led military alliance that fought in Afghanistan and Iraq.
"Now, as president, I will honor Poland's sacrifices for freedom. We are committed to a strong Poland, very committed," he said. Trump also contended Bill Clinton as president said "Democracy was too much trouble" because "apparently he disagreed with Poland's opposition to bring in refugees." Yet, Trump noted how Hillary Clinton wanted to bring more refugees into the country than Obama wants.
The criticism apparently was aimed at trying to inoculate himself over attacks on his own hard-line immigration proposal.
Trump said he believed the voters in the U.S. shared the same belief as voters in the United Kingdom who voted to exit the European Union.
"We want our independence back. We want our freedom back. We don't want to take people into our country that we don't want. We don't want to take people into our country that possibly have very bad intentions. I mean, we have so many problems," he said.
"I'm with you. I agree with you," he told the audience. "You love this country. You love our country. You want what's good for our country."
The audience then sang the traditional song of well-being, "Sto lat," which is often sung at Polish birthday celebrations.
Before Trump appeared on stage, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani spoke. "For those of you who are citizens of the city of Chicago, there's no city that helped New York City (more) after Sept. 11th," Giuliani said.
He said Trump made the visit to the PNA because of his "long-term abiding love for the Polish community," and said that with the Republican's election, Poland will find "once again a totally reliable ally in the United States of America."
Giuliani criticized Hillary Clinton for giving up on Reagan's "dream of a nuclear defense of Poland and the Czech Republic." He also accused the Obama administration of "double crossing" Poland and the Czech Republican with Hillary Clinton as a key "architect."
Giuliani also sought to rebut concerns about Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"He doesn't know Putin. He's never met Putin," the former New York mayor said. "He's going to negotiate with him on basis of military strength that dwarfs the Soviet, sorry, Russia."
His appearance followed a brief roundtable upstairs with about 20 people, including PNA President Frank Spula and Piotr Janicki, Polish consul general to Chicago, which was open for a brief pool photo spray.
Trump also has a southwest suburban fundraiser scheduled at the Bolingbrook Golf Club. The event comes as Trump's campaign, along with allied committees, reported raising $90 million last month. It was a $10 million increase from what he raised in July, but it also trailed the $143 million raised last month by Clinton and the Democratic National Committee and state parties.
The Bolingbrook event has ticket prices ranging from $1,000 to attend the luncheon to $250,000 per couple. The higher-priced ticket includes getting named as an event chairman, luncheon with "prime seating," a photo opportunity and attendance at a pre-lunch "VIP roundtable."
Hosts for the event include Chicago businessman Ron Gidwitz, finance chair for the Trump Victory fund in Illinois, and a longtime Republican donor and bundler.
Gidwitz was an early supporter of Florida Gov. Jeb Bush's failed bid for the nomination, as was much of the state's Republican establishment. But Gidwitz became a fundraiser for the GOP nominee after having a personal meeting with the former reality TV star.
Also serving on the event host committee is Roger Claar, the longtime Bolingbrook mayor and a member of the Illinois Republican State Central Committee.
But the other event hosts, including Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus, are from out of state, reflecting the uneasy alliance that exists between Illinois Republicans and their presidential nominee. Top GOP leaders in the state have actively worked to distance themselves from Trump.
Proceeds from the event go to the victory fund established for Trump and his running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence. Money raised for the fund not only goes to the Trump campaign, but to the RNC and state GOP efforts in 11 states: Arkansas, Connecticut, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming.
Hours before the event, dozens of demonstrators began staging signs across the street. A large banner with an anti-war message was draped across the security fence outside the golf club.
"My kids can't even watch him on TV," said Holly Schoetlin, a 36-year-old Naperville woman who carried her 2-year-old son, Henry, as she spoke.
"He's doing the name calling. It's not what they would do on the playground. I wouldn't want (my children) to see that in a president."
Protesters like Jolean Taite were kept in a fenced-off area across the street from the golf club. The group, which consists of about 60 people, is growing as more people arrive. A group of Chicago-area musicians, who dubbed themselves Sousaphones Against Hate, arrived putting their own spin on songs.
"Hey, Trump, leave us alone," they chanted as they played Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall."
After the fundraiser, Trump was scheduled to campaign in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and Waukesha, Wis.
Daughter Ivanka Trump is scheduled to be in Quincy and Peoria on Wednesday before attending an early evening fundraiser at the home of entrepreneur Bill Farley and wife Shelley that features several Illinois top Republicans as host.
State GOP Chairman Tim Schneider is listed along with the state's Republican national committeman and committeewoman, Richard Porter and Demetra Demonte, respectively. State Rep. John Cabello of Rockford, a co-chair of the Illinois Trump Victory fund, also is on the list, as well as Reps. Darin LaHood and John Shimkus.
But there are other hosts, including former Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka and his wife, Diane, as well as Todd Ricketts, a co-owner of the Chicago Cubs.
Ditka's political conservatism is well-known, while many in the Ricketts family launched a multimillion-dollar political action committee to defeat Trump in the GOP primaries only to now offer $1 million in support of his candidacy. Todd Ricketts' sister, Laura, another co-owner of the team, is a donor and fundraising bundler for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.
Tickets start at $500 per person for the Chicago reception, while $25,000 a couple buys a co-chair of the event, a photo and membership into the Republican National Committee's Eagles group of donors. Funds raised at the event are split between the Trump campaign, the RNC and 11 state Republican Party organizations _ not including Illinois.
