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The Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump, drew fierce criticism Monday for suggesting that undocumented immigrants bring “defective genetic traits” into the United States, further entrenching his hardline stance on migration and its perceived impact on American society.
Trump took aim at Vice President Kamala Harris in a radio interview, highlighting alarming figures that indicate thousands of immigrants convicted of homicide are living freely in the US, rather than being detained by federal immigration authorities.
“You know now, a murderer — I believe this — it’s in their genes. We’ve got a lot of bad genes in our country right now,” former president Trump told conservative host Hugh Hewitt.
Trump’s inflammatory statements drew swift censure from the White House, which condemned the remarks as “odious” and “inexcusable”. This forceful rejection highlighted the administration’s dedication to promoting tolerance.
“That type of language is hateful, it’s disgusting, it’s inappropriate, and has no place in our country,” Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters.
“This comes from the same vile statements that we’ve heard about (how) migrants poison the blood, that’s disgusting.”
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Jean-Pierre added: “We’re going to continue to forcefully reject this kind of vile, disturbing, hateful, hateful speech.”
Donald Trump’s recent claims about immigration data have been disputed, as he misrepresented information released by the ICE agency in September, fueling ongoing debates on border security.
The time frame for these statistics includes several decades, notably Trump’s presidential tenure, but excludes individuals held in facilities beyond ICE’s purview, such as state and local correctional facilities or other federal detention centers.
Illegal immigration into the United States, especially over the southern border with Mexico, is a major issue in the November 5 US presidential election.
Polls show it remains a major vulnerability for Harris, with border crossings having risen to record highs at the end of 2023 under President Joe Biden, whom she replaced as the Democratic standard-bearer in July.
