
President Donald Trump cited the horrible story of Mollie Tibbetts, who was allegedly murdered by an illegal immigrant, in his speech at a rally Tuesday in Charleston, West Virginia. (SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)
President Donald Trump immediately took up the cause of missing Iowa college student Mollie Tibbetts after law enforcement officials said an illegal immigrant led them to her remains.
"You heard about today with the illegal alien coming in very sadly from Mexico, and you saw what happened to that incredible beautiful young woman," Trump said at his rally in Charleston, West Virginia.
"It should have never happened," he said. "Illegally in our country."
"We've had a huge impact," Trump continued. "But the laws are so bad. The immigration laws are such a disgrace, we're getting them changed, but we gotta get more Republicans. We have to get."
"This election is bigger than any one race," he added, "it's about whether we want to continue the amazing progress we've made for America..."
Tibbetts went missing for a month after going out for a jog in July. The search for her whereabouts made national headlines, but made a turn for the worst possible outcome when her remains were discovered Tuesday.
Law enforcement officials say that surveillance video led them to Cristhian Bahena Rivera, who confessed to stalking Tibbetts, killing her, and dumping her body in a cornfield.
He led them to her body and was arrested for her murder.
Rivera was in the country illegally at the time of her killing, and was put on ICE detainer after his arrest.
The story has parallels to the Kate Steinle murder that Trump used to exemplify the dangers of uncontrolled illegal immigration in his 2016 presidential campaign.
Steinle was walking on a San Francisco pier with her father when she was struck by a bullet fired by an illegal immigrant who had been deported back to Mexico several times. He said it was an accident and that the bullet ricocheted on the ground.
Many believe the case helped propel Trump to victory in the primary election and even in the general election.