Trump claims Beijing is 'building an army' INSIDE the U.S. with the 'military-aged men' among the more than 46,000 Chinese migrants who have crossed the border

Former President Donald Trump raised concerns Thursday that China could be building an army inside the United States, with all of the Chinese migrants coming across the border.

The president spoke about the issue during an interview with radio broadcaster Hugh Hewitt, who pointed to reports that 46,000 Chinese nationals had crossed the Southern border in the past two years. 

'They’re probably building an army from within,' Trump said. 'I mean, you look at what’s happening, because they’re very healthy young men for the most part.'

Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event on April 02, 2024 in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Chinese illegal migrants stand in line in front of U.S. Border Patrol agents at the U.S.-Mexico border in Jacumba Hot Springs, California.

Trump boasted that during his administration, he had the 'safest border in history' but that Biden undid all of his executive efforts to secure the country.

He pointed to the type of Chinese migrants crossing the Southern border as evidence that China was working on building an army within the United States.

'They’re young, and they’re healthy. I see the pictures of them. I see them on television tapes, also,' he said. 'I mean, these are young, healthy people.'

On Tuesday, U.S. border patrol agents apprehended 182 Chinese citizens who crossed the Southern Border in to the United States. In the San Diego sector, the number of Chinese migrants is now outnumbering the amount of Mexican citizens crossing into the U.S.

President Donald J. Trump visits the 450th mile of the new border wall near the Texas Mexico border. 

Chinese Migrants attempting to cross in to the U.S. from Mexico are detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the border November 11, 2023 in Jacumba, California.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported 37,000 Chinese citizens were apprehended in 2023 crossing illegally from Mexico into the United States - 50 times more than two years ago, according to CBS.

Trump has made the issue of migrants crossing the border a central issue of his campaign, promising to stop 'Biden's Border Bloodbath' if he is elected president. 

Hewitt also raised concerns that China was ramping up their military fleet with an estimation of 425 ships in just a couple more years even as the United States Navy was reducing their fleet.

Trump said that while he was president, he was on track to increase the number of ships built for the United States Navy but that Biden canceled his plans.

'They look like yachts with lots of weapons on them, lots of weapons,' he said. 'But, and they’ve really come out good. But we were giving out a lot of ships, and then this guy came in, and he has no idea what he’s doing.'