Donald Trump defends 'poisoning the blood' comments on migrants at Iowa rally

 

Former President Donald Trump defended his recent comments about migrants, insisting that they were not akin to fascist writings, as some had suggested. Speaking at a campaign rally in Waterloo, Iowa, Trump addressed the controversy surrounding his assertion that migrants crossing the southern border were "poisoning the blood" of America.

During the rally, Trump denied having read Adolf Hitler's fascist manifesto, "Mein Kampf," and reiterated his stance on immigrants in the U.S. illegally, claiming they were "destroying the blood of our country" and undermining its fabric.

At the event, attended by over 1,000 supporters, Trump responded to criticism over his anti-immigrant rhetoric from a New Hampshire rally, where he doubled down on his remarks about "blood" purity. He made no reference to the Colorado Supreme Court's decision to disqualify him from the state's ballot.

Trump's inflammatory language about immigrants dates back to his 2015 campaign launch, where he claimed Mexican immigrants were "bringing drugs, they're bringing crime, they're rapists." In his third campaign, Trump has embraced increasingly authoritarian messages, pledging to expand efforts to restrict citizens from certain Muslim-majority countries and implement stricter "ideological screening" for immigrants.

While Trump's supporters at the rally praised his border policies, some acknowledged concerns about his choice of words. Despite supporting the idea of legal immigration, they emphasized the need for controlled border crossings and enhanced national security.

Critics, including Democratic Governor Andy Beshear and Vice President Kamala Harris, condemned Trump's rhetoric as "dangerous" and cautioned against dehumanizing immigrants.

Responding to a reporter's question about Trump's comments, Republican Senator JD Vance defended them as referring to the drug epidemic, particularly overdoses from fentanyl smuggled over the border. Experts, however, pointed out that Trump's language resembled that used by white supremacists, raising concerns about the potential impact on public discourse.

As Trump focuses on immigration policy as a key element of his second-term agenda, the Biden administration and Congress are engaged in border security negotiations. Trump's remarks come amid criticism of President Joe Biden for the surge in migrants at the border, with potential implications for a future rematch between Trump and Biden. Despite mixed reactions to his rhetoric, Trump continues to lead in polls of likely Republican voters in Iowa and nationwide.