Trump’s Controversial Remarks on Immigrants Spark Backlash.
Former President Donald Trump intensified his rhetoric against immigrants during a recent interview, suggesting they commit violent crimes due to “bad genes.” His comments came on Monday while speaking with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt.
Trump claimed, “How about allowing people to come to an open border, 13,000 of which were murderers, many of them murdered far more than one person, and they’re now happily living in the United States. You know now a murder, I believe this, it’s in their genes. And we got a lot of bad genes in our country right now.”
Additionally, Trump criticized Vice President Kamala Harris, accusing her of wanting to implement a “Communist Party-type system” to provide government aid to people.
This latest statement marks a sharp escalation in Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric, which he has consistently employed on the campaign trail, promising mass deportations if re-elected. His comments echo previous assertions, such as his claim that immigrants “are poisoning the blood of our country.” The White House condemned his remarks, stating they “echo the grotesque rhetoric of fascists and violent white supremacists.”
In response, Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt clarified that Trump was discussing murderers, not all migrants. “It’s pretty disgusting the media is always so quick to defend murderers, rapists, and illegal criminals if it means writing a bad headline about President Trump,” she stated.
Last week, Trump threatened to revoke Temporary Protected Status and deport Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, following unfounded claims that the local Haitian population was resorting to eating pets. This situation escalated tensions, leading to bomb threats at schools in Springfield.
In a September interview with the National Association of Black Journalists, Harris called for an end to Trump’s inflammatory remarks against migrants, stating that “it has to stop.”
Immigration remains a critical issue for voters and a potential vulnerability for Harris. A recent New York Times/Siena poll indicated that Trump leads Harris on the immigration issue, 53 percent to 42 percent. In response, Harris has campaigned for tougher border security, including a recent stop in Douglas, Arizona.
Trump has repeatedly referenced the figure of 13,000, citing a letter from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales. This letter indicated that 13,099 non-citizens on ICE’s “non-detained docket” were convicted of homicide. However, this data does not imply that these individuals are currently detained; many are likely in state or federal prison, and the information spans several decades.
Related topics:
- Trump Claims Undocumented Immigrants Who Commit Murder Have ‘bad Genes’
- Trump’s Risky Focus on Immigration
- How Anti-Immigrant Laws, Regardless of Their Outcome, Impact Migrants