Former US President Donald Trump stirred debate on Monday by suggesting that undocumented immigrants who commit murder possess “bad genes,” during an interview on “The Hugh Hewitt Show.”
In the interview, Trump distorted immigration and crime statistics to criticise Vice President Kamala Harris, falsely claiming that “13,000 of which were murderers” were crossing through an “open border.” He said, “You know, now, a murderer, I believe this – it’s in their genes.And we got bad, a lot of bad genes in our country right now.”
CNN has reached out to the Trump campaign for further comment. This rhetoric aligns with Trump’s ongoing campaign strategy, which has made reducing illegal immigration a central focus. His language regarding undocumented immigrants has drawn criticism from civil rights groups, particularly after he claimed last autumn that they were “poisoning the blood of our country.”
Additionally, Trump has previously invoked genetics at campaign rallies, stating in 2020, “You have good genes. A lot of it is about the genes, isn’t it, don’t you believe? The racehorse theory.” This comment references the notion that selective breeding in horses produces superior bloodlines, a concept that has drawn parallels to discussions on race and genetics.