Former President Donald Trump has sparked outrage from Democrats, Biden officers and even some Republicans for saying over the weekend that immigrants who enter the U.S. illegally are “poisoning the blood of our country.”
Critics say the phrase is harking back to one utilized by Adolf Hitler, who claimed that Jewish folks have been “poisoning” the blood of Germans.
Mr. Trump, the main Republican presidential candidate, made the anti-immigrant comment Saturday at a marketing campaign rally in New Hampshire whereas talking concerning the report variety of unlawful southern border crossings below President Biden.
“They’re poisoning the blood of our country. That’s what they’ve done,” Mr. Trump informed the group of supporters. “They’ve poisoned mental institutions, prisons all over the world. Not just in South America, not just in three or four countries that we think about, but all over the world. From Africa, from Asia, from all over the world they’re pouring into our country. Nobody is even looking at them, they’re just coming in. The crime [and terrorism] is going to be tremendous.”
A Trump marketing campaign spokesperson didn’t reply to a request for remark concerning the candidate’s rhetoric or the fallout.
Rep. Tony Gonzales, a Texas Republican whose district runs alongside the southern border, referred to as immigrants the “lifeblood” of the U.S. in response to Mr. Trump.
“I think immigrants are the lifeblood of our country, and it’s important that we have immigrants. I’ve been a proponent of legal immigration and what this open border crisis has done, it’s put legal immigrants to the back of the line,” Mr. Gonzales mentioned Sunday on the CBS program “Face the Nation.”
He additionally mentioned the circulate of border crossings has created “anger” towards all immigrants.
“It’s encouraged illegal immigration, and it’s created this rhetoric, and it’s created this anger,” Mr. Gonzales mentioned. “And it’s not just former President Trump. In my district, people are angry.”
GOP presidential candidate and ex-New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie referred to as Mr. Trump “disgusting” and mentioned fellow Republicans have enabled his reputation amongst voters.
“What he’s doing is dog-whistling to Americans who feel absolutely under stress and strain from the economy and from the conflicts around the world. He’s dog-whistling to blame it on people from areas that don’t look like us,” Mr. Christie mentioned Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “The other problem with this is the Republicans who are saying this is OK, almost 100 members of Congress who have endorsed him, Nikki Haley, who this week said he is fit to be president.”
But Sen. Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Republican, got here to Mr. Trump’s protection.
“I could care less what language people use, as long as we get it right,” Mr. Graham mentioned Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “I think the president has a way of talking sometimes I disagree with. But he actually delivered on the border. People are looking for results. If the only thing you want to talk about on immigration is the way Donald Trump talks, you’re missing a lot.”
Democrats, together with officers within the White House and on Mr. Biden’s marketing campaign, disagreed vehemently.
Biden marketing campaign spokesperson Ammar Moussa mentioned Mr. Trump “channeled his role models as he parroted Adolf Hitler, praised Kim Jong Un and quoted Vladimir Putin while running for president on a promise to rule as a dictator and threaten American democracy.”
White House spokesperson Andrew Bates accused the previous president of “echoing the grotesque rhetoric of fascists and violent white supremacists and threatening to oppress those who disagree with the government are dangerous attacks on the dignity and rights of all Americans, on our democracy and on public safety.”
Sen. Chris Coons, Delaware Democrat and shut Biden ally, described Mr. Trump’s phrases as “stunning, hateful, fascist rhetoric.”
