Trump Claims Migrants Commit Murder Due to “Bad Genes” \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, suggested that migrants who commit murder have “bad genes,” further alleging immigrants are altering America’s genetic makeup. Trump’s comments echo past controversial statements, including accusing immigrants of “poisoning” the nation’s blood. The remarks have drawn criticism, including condemnation from the White House.
Trump’s “Bad Genes” Remarks Quick Looks
- Donald Trump suggested migrant murderers have “bad genes,” adding that America has “a lot of bad genes.”
- His statements echo past controversial remarks, including immigrants “poisoning the blood of our country.”
- The comments were made during a radio interview with Hugh Hewitt.
- Trump was criticizing Kamala Harris before pivoting to immigration statistics.
- He claimed 13,000 migrants who are murderers are “happily living” in the U.S.
- The Trump campaign clarified his “bad genes” remarks referred specifically to murderers.
- Immigration statistics cited by Trump include data from his own administration.
- DHS data shows that 13,099 people under ICE supervision were convicted of homicide.
- White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre condemned Trump’s language as “hateful” and “inappropriate.”
- Trump has a history of maligning immigrants, calling them “animals” and “killers.”
- Last month, Trump falsely claimed Haitian immigrants were abducting pets in Ohio.
- Trump vowed to carry out the largest deportation operation in U.S. history if reelected.
Deep Look
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has once again drawn controversy with inflammatory remarks about immigrants. On Monday, Trump suggested that migrants in the United States who have committed murder did so because “it’s in their genes.” He added, “There are a lot of bad genes in our country right now.” These comments, made during a radio interview with conservative host Hugh Hewitt, are the latest example of Trump’s history of associating immigration with negative and even dangerous traits, suggesting that immigrants are fundamentally changing the genetic makeup of the U.S. population in a harmful way.
Trump’s remarks came as he was criticizing his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, in the lead-up to the 2024 presidential election. While talking about immigration, Trump cited statistics that he claimed showed high numbers of migrants who had committed crimes, including murder, while residing in the United States. According to Trump, 13,000 of these individuals were “murderers,” with many of them having killed “far more than one person.” Trump went on to assert, “And they’re now happily living in the United States. You know, now a murderer — I believe this: it’s in their genes. And we got a lot of bad genes in our country right now. Then you had 425,000 people come into our country that shouldn’t be here that are criminals.”
The Trump campaign quickly responded to clarify the nominee’s controversial comments. Karoline Leavitt, the campaign’s national press secretary, said that Trump was “clearly referring to murderers, not migrants.” She added, “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.”
The data Trump cited comes from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and was recently provided to Republican Representative Tony Gonzales. The statistics included information about individuals under ICE supervision who have been found guilty of crimes, such as homicide. According to ICE data, there were 13,099 people found guilty of homicide and 425,431 individuals with criminal convictions under ICE supervision. However, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) clarified that these figures span multiple decades, including years when Trump himself was president. Additionally, those not currently in ICE custody could be detained by state or local law enforcement agencies.
Trump’s statements, especially regarding “bad genes,” have drawn significant backlash from his opponents and the general public. During a press briefing on Monday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre condemned Trump’s comments, calling them “hateful,” “disgusting,” and “inappropriate.” She stated, “That type of language, it’s hateful, it’s disgusting, it’s inappropriate, it has no place in our country.” The Biden administration has already faced its own challenges in navigating the complex landscape of immigration, including tightening asylum restrictions for migrants. Vice President Kamala Harris, in particular, has focused on addressing immigration vulnerabilities as part of her 2024 campaign, trying to project a tougher stance on border security.
Trump’s remarks about genetic predispositions add to his long history of making inflammatory statements about immigrants. His campaign rhetoric frequently depicts immigrants as a threat to the country, linking them to violence, crime, and disease. This rhetoric has included calling immigrants “animals” and “killers,” as well as accusing them of spreading infectious diseases. In one particularly egregious instance last year, Trump used language reminiscent of Adolf Hitler to describe illegal immigration, saying immigrants were “poisoning the blood of our country.”
Trump’s latest comments are in line with a broader pattern of xenophobic and inflammatory language that he has used throughout his political career. Last month, during a debate with Vice President Harris, Trump falsely claimed that Haitian immigrants in Ohio were abducting and eating pets, a statement that drew immediate outrage and condemnation for its baselessness and inflammatory nature. Trump has often portrayed immigrants, especially those from certain countries, in deeply negative and dehumanizing terms. During his presidency, he questioned why the United States was accepting immigrants from places like Haiti and Africa instead of from countries like Norway. He also told four congresswomen, all women of color and three of whom were born in the U.S., to “go back and help fix the totally broken and crime-infested places from which they came.”
These kinds of remarks have been central to Trump’s political brand since his first campaign in 2016, and he appears to be doubling down on this approach as he seeks a return to the White House. His statements about immigration and the genetic traits of migrants are part of a broader effort to frame illegal immigration as one of the country’s most pressing threats. As part of his 2024 campaign platform, Trump has pledged to initiate the largest deportation operation in U.S. history if reelected, positioning himself as the candidate who will take the toughest stance against illegal immigration.
Despite the criticism, Trump’s hardline rhetoric on immigration continues to resonate with a significant portion of the Republican base, which has consistently ranked immigration and border security as among the most important issues in recent elections. His comments about migrants having “bad genes” are clearly intended to draw sharp contrasts with the Biden-Harris administration, which has struggled to balance calls for more humane immigration policies with demands for tighter border security.
The data that Trump referenced during his interview also highlights the complexity of the immigration debate. According to ICE statistics provided to Representative Tony Gonzales, there are indeed over 13,000 people under ICE supervision who have been found guilty of homicide, along with more than 425,000 individuals with criminal convictions. However, the data spans multiple administrations and includes individuals who may currently be in the custody of local or state law enforcement, complicating the narrative that Trump is trying to advance.
Critics argue that Trump’s comments are not only misleading but also dangerous, as they fuel xenophobic sentiments and contribute to the dehumanization of immigrants. Advocacy groups and political opponents have been quick to condemn the rhetoric, pointing out that it is not only factually inaccurate but also harmful to public discourse and immigrant communities. The White House, in its response, sought to underline the broader implications of Trump’s remarks, suggesting that his language is designed to divide and instill fear among Americans.
Trump’s strategy, however, has always involved stoking fears about “the other,” positioning himself as the protector of a certain vision of America that he claims is under threat from outsiders. By linking crime to genetic traits, he is tapping into a long history of pseudo-scientific racism that has been used throughout history to justify discriminatory policies. His comments, which effectively imply that criminality is inherent in certain groups of people, are reminiscent of eugenicist ideas that have been widely discredited and condemned.
In the context of his 2024 campaign, these comments serve to galvanize his base and draw a clear distinction between his immigration policies and those of his Democratic opponents. While the Biden administration has made efforts to stiffen asylum restrictions and has worked on presenting a balanced approach to immigration enforcement, Trump has doubled down on an uncompromising stance, one that includes expanding deportations and limiting the number of immigrants entering the country.
As Trump continues his campaign, his inflammatory rhetoric around immigration is likely to persist, especially given its effectiveness in energizing his core supporters. However, such language also carries significant risks, including alienating moderate voters and inflaming divisions within an already polarized electorate. Whether his comments on “bad genes” will help or hurt his electoral prospects remains to be seen, but they have undeniably once again thrust the issue of immigration into the spotlight, ensuring it will be a key battleground in the upcoming election.
Trump Claims Migrants Trump Claims Migrants Trump Claims Migrants Trump Claims Migrants
