Donald Trump Jr. invokes family's roots during Phoenix appearance at GCU

Donald Trump Jr. invoked family roots — specifically his mother's side — to draw attention to the importance of protecting conservative ideals during an appearance at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix on Monday night.

The president's oldest child was part of Turning Point USA's Culture War Tour. The group's founder, Charlie Kirk, and Kimberly Guilfoyle, Donald Trump Jr.'s girlfriend and former Fox News commentator, spoke to a crowd of about 1,000 people in the GCU auditorium.

Trump emphasized jobs created under his father's administration, among other topics, preferring to steer clear of current controversies surrounding his father's administration.

He talked about life under communist rule to draw comparisons to liberal policies he suggested were socialist. He cited the life his grandparents endured growing up in the former Czechoslovakia when it was under such a system. Ivana Trump, his mother and the president's first wife, was born there.

"I grew up with grandparents who literally had to leave family members behind to come to this country to survive. They taught me to work for every little thing I have ever gotten," said Trump, who now runs his father's company along with his brother, Eric.

He recalled visiting Czechoslovakia once as a child while wearing a jacket that bore the Stars and Stripes.

"I was approached by a guard holding a rifle, who said to me, 'Do you know the Stars and Stripes represents freedom in America?'  I said yes, and was told never to wear that jacket again,'' he recalled.

He talked about how tough it was to see people suffer under communist rule, including seeing people waiting in bread lines, hinting that proposals from the left could lead to socialist outcomes in this country if left unchecked.

"I have seen that mentality and what that form of government can do to good people,'' Trump said. "It's amazing how this mainstream idea from the left is formed and all the things they say on television, (but) not one person whose has actually lived under these systems that can actually vouch for what it's like to suffer under those conditions."

He then drew a comparison to his father's efforts since taking office.

"This administration has taken 6.3 million people off of food stamps, that is 2% of the population, which scares the left because they are the party of dependents.”

He cited problems in this country, including the homelessness crisis.

"Great cities like San Francisco are suffering with terrible homelessness, and you can’t even enjoy walking downtown,'' he said.