Trump sounds alarm about illegal immigrant killers: ‘A lot of bad genes in our country’

Former President Trump on Monday described illegal immigrant killers as having “bad genes” and warned that there are “a lot of bad genes in our country” as illegal immigrant crime remains a top issue for voters ahead of the November election.

“How about letting people come to an open border, 13,000 of them murderers, many of them have killed many more than one person, and they are now living happily in the United States,” the 2024 Republican presidential candidate told radio host Hugh . Hewitt.

Trump appeared to be referring to the more than 13,000 illegal immigrants in the US who are on the Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s non-detainee docket with a murder conviction. The data was revealed in a letter to lawmakers last month. Some of them, though it is unclear how many, will be in federal or state prisons, and many came to the U.S. during previous administrations. The data shows that among those not in custody, there are 425,431 convicted criminals on the docket, up from around 405,000 in June 2021 and 368,000 in April 2016.

A new poll shows Trump with a significant lead on immigration and border security in key battleground states

Republican presidential candidate and former President Trump has pledged to complete construction of the southern border wall if elected. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)

The data disclosure has reignited the issue of illegal immigrant crime, which has been a top concern for many voters amid a massive border security crisis that has seen record numbers at the border and a number of high-profile crimes allegedly committed by illegal immigrants. immigrants.

“You know, now a murderer, I believe this, it’s in their genes. And we have a lot of bad genes in our country right now,” he said.

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Trump appeared to refer only to murderers, but some media outlets quickly seized on Trump’s words and accused him of referring to immigrants more broadly. An NBC News headline described it as the former president’s “latest disregard for migrants.”

The Washington Post, Politico and other mainstream media repeated the same story. Mediaite described Trump’s comment as “chilling” and White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said: “That kind of language is hateful, disgusting and inappropriate.” There is no place for it in our country.’

This split shows DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and migrants crossing the border. (Getty Images)

Trump has promised to take a tougher stance on illegal immigration and some forms of legal immigration. He has promised to launch a massive deportation campaign if elected. He has also pledged to finish the border wall he started during his first administration and end the Biden-era parole programs that brought hundreds of thousands of migrants to the US.

Polls generally show Trump leading his Democratic opponent, Vice President Harris, on immigration and border security. Republicans have said the Biden administration encouraged and fueled the border crisis by reversing Trump-era policies and expanding catch-and-release.

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Harris has tried to position herself as the candidate better suited to handle border security, citing her past as a prosecutor who went after transnational criminal organizations. She has also supported a bipartisan border security bill unveiled this year that would increase funding for the border and also limit asylum applications.

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Harris and the Biden administration have accused Trump of opposing that bill for political purposes, but conservatives have said the bill would only codify high levels of illegal immigration.

Meanwhile, the number of border contacts at the border has fallen sharply, with a drop of more than 50% since the summer. The administration attributes that in part to an executive order signed by President Biden that limits entry of asylum seekers into the US. Harris recently supported a move to further tighten that order.