Former President Donald Trump called the mother of Rachel Morin, who was ruthlessly raped and murdered by an illegal migrant from El Salvador, on Thursday — with the grieving mom saying she was “deeply touched” by his “honest compassion.”
The condolences from the presumptive GOP nominee came after Patty Morin flammed President Biden’s Department of Homeland Security chief for referring to her daughter as an “individual” killed by a suspected gang member.
Trump talked at length with Patty about Rachel, a 37-year-old mother-of-five who was senselessly slaughtered last August while on a hiking trail in Harford County, Md.
“I am deeply touched by President Trump’s kindness and concern,” Patty said in a statement about the call.
“He was genuine and truly wanted to know how our family was coping,” she added. “He asked about Rachel and showed honest compassion for her untimely death.
“His words brought comfort to me during this very difficult time.”
Officers with the Harford County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI, and other law enforcement agencies arrested Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez, 23, on Friday for Rachel’s murder.
Martinez-Hernandez is an undocumented immigrant who illegally crossed the border four times last year and had been wanted for assaulting a mom and young girl during a home break-in in Los Angeles.
His arrest reignited debates over the besieged southern border.
Randolph Rice, the Morin family’s attorney, said Rachel’s death should serve as a wake up call to lawmakers to crack down on the border.
“The need to take immediate action at the border and shutting down the unrelenting flow of illegal immigrants is common sense policy because it protects Americans from future crimes,” Rice said in a statement.
“If we can prevent even one murder by an illegal immigrant, then it is well worth it,” he added.
On Tuesday, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas appeared on CNN and was asked about Rachel’s murder and his response to critics blaming the administration’s policies for violent crimes committed by migrants.
During his response, Mayorkas referred to Rachel as “the individual,” with Patty appearing on Fox News the following day to condemn the DHS chief’s choice of words.
“It totally depersonalizes her and makes her an object,” said Patty, who also revealed no one from the Biden administration has reached out to her grieving family since her daughter’s alleged killer was arrested.
Martinez-Hernandez, who was arrested at a bar in Tulsa, Oklahoma on Friday, was charged with first-degree murder and first-degree rape in her death.