Donald Trump Says He Thinks Some Migrants Are 'Animals' And 'Not People' – HuffPost
Senior Reporter
Donald Trump demonized immigrants during a campaign rally near Dayton, Ohio, on Saturday, telling supporters he thinks of some crossing the border as “animals” or not even “people.”
In a nearly 90-minute speech, the former president described an epidemic of immigrant-committed crimes and claimed, without evidence, that foreign leaders were offloading their prison populations at the southern U.S. border.
Trump baselessly suggested other countries were sending gang members and other undesirables to the United States before telling supporters, “I don’t know if you call them ‘people,’ in some cases. They’re not people, in my opinion.”
“But I’m not allowed to say that because the radical left says that’s a terrible thing to say,” he defended, later referring to the hypothetical criminal migrants as “animals” and “bad people.”
While Trump seemed confident that migrants contribute to crime, repeated studies, including a recent analysis published in the journal, Criminology, have found that increased populations of undocumented immigrants are generally associated with decreases in violent crime in any given area.
During a Sunday appearance on Fox News, the Republican doubled-down on his claims.
Returning to rhetoric he used last December, he told interviewer Howard Kurtz that the “country is being poisoned” by migrants.
“We can be nice about it, we can talk about, ‘Oh, I want to be politically correct,’” Trump said. “But we have people coming in from prisons and jails, long-term murderers, people with sentences that the rest of their lives they’re going to spend in some jail in some country that many people have never even heard of. They’re all being released into our country.”
At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.
Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.
Would you join us to help keep our stories free for all? Your contribution of as little as $2 will go a long way.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you’ll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages.
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.