Donald Trump Sparks Controversy With “Bad Genes” Comment on Immigrants

In a recent interview with radio host Hugh Hewitt, former President Donald Trump once again sparked national outrage by making a divisive comment about undocumented immigrants. This time, Donald Trump suggested that those in the country illegally who have committed murder or other crimes possess “bad genes,” a remark that further intensifies his history of racially charged rhetoric aimed at immigrants.

During the interview, Donald Trump criticized Vice President Kamala Harris’s handling of border security, alleging that her policies have led to an influx of criminals. “You know, now, a murderer, I believe this, it’s in their genes,” Trump remarked. “And we’ve got a lot of bad genes in our country right now.” He then claimed that 425,000 undocumented immigrants with criminal backgrounds have entered the U.S., distorting the context of data released by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Donald Trump’s comment about “bad genes” quickly drew attention, as it reflects a pattern in his rhetoric that has consistently dehumanized immigrants and portrayed them as a threat to American society. The suggestion that criminal behavior is linked to a genetic predisposition among undocumented immigrants taps into long-standing and dangerous tropes about race and criminality.

Fact-Checking Trump’s Claims

Donald Trump’s statement hinges on his interpretation of data released by ICE, which he claims shows that President Joe Biden’s administration has allowed more than 13,000 undocumented immigrants with homicide convictions to remain free. However, the figure he cites is part of a broader statistic that spans decades, involving individuals with criminal records that predate Biden’s presidency. The data includes people who may have served time and are outside ICE’s jurisdiction, making Trump’s claim misleading.

A Donald Trump campaign spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, later clarified that Trump was referring specifically to “murderers, not migrants.” Despite this clarification, Trump’s choice of language — particularly the reference to “bad genes” — has been interpreted as a broader attack on immigrants and their place in American society.

A Pattern of Inflammatory Rhetoric

Since launching his political career, Donald Trump has consistently vilified undocumented immigrants, often framing them as dangerous criminals and a drain on American society. His presidential campaigns have repeatedly leaned on this narrative, with his 2015 announcement speech infamously claiming that Mexico was sending “rapists” to the U.S.

However, in recent months, Trump’s rhetoric has grown even more extreme. He has referred to immigrants as “poisoning the blood” of the nation, a chilling phrase that evokes historical associations with white supremacist ideologies. Critics, including Harris and Biden, have compared Trump’s language to the ideology espoused by Adolf Hitler, particularly Hitler’s notion of “blood poisoning” described in Mein Kampf.

At a campaign rally in Minnesota during the 2020 election, Trump also touted the so-called “racehorse theory,” a concept borrowed from horse breeding that suggests certain humans inherit superior traits genetically. “You have good genes, you know that, right?” Trump told the predominantly white crowd. “A lot of it is about the genes.”

Political Repercussions

The inflammatory nature of Trump’s remarks has led to fierce backlash from political opponents, civil rights groups, and immigrant advocacy organizations. Vice President Harris, while campaigning for Biden in South Carolina, criticized Trump’s remarks as deeply harmful, saying, “For years, the former president has stoked the fires of hate and bigotry and racism and xenophobia for his own power and political gain.”

Harris and Biden have continued to challenge Trump’s language, highlighting the dangers of such dehumanizing rhetoric. Many see his comments as further evidence of his willingness to exploit racial divisions for political advantage, creating a more hostile environment for immigrants and minorities in the United States.

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