Donalt Trump vows to reverse Biden border order

PHOENIX

Donald Trump has said he would reverse U.S. President Joe Biden's order clamping down on illegal border crossings, in his first campaign event since becoming a convicted felon.

The expected Republican Party nominee also threatened to impose tariffs on countries that do not stem the flow of migrants into the United States, as he seeks to make electoral capital on an issue polls show resonates with voters.

Asked by an audience member at an event in the must-win state of Arizona what he would do to shut off the flow of people entering the U.S. via the southern border, including migrants from China and the Middle East, Trump said he would use economic measures.

"We have tremendous economic power... if China or some other country is behaving badly, we have things called tariffs that are so severe," he said.

"We are going to be so tough and if a country is not going to behave, we're going to tariff the hell out of that country," he added.

Trump was in Phoenix for his first event since being convicted of 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up hush money paid to a porn star.

A sympathetic audience in this southwestern border state were given the opportunity after a long speech to ask questions of the former president.

Most were variations on a theme of immigration, an issue polls show is uppermost in voters minds ahead of the November 5 election.

Biden this week issued an executive order barring migrants who enter the U.S. illegally from claiming asylum when numbers surge past 2,500 in a day.

The order also makes it easier to deport people back to Mexico.