During a rally in New Hampshire on Saturday, former President Donald Trump made a statement about illegal immigrants, proclaiming they were “poisoning the blood of our country.” This particular phrase closely resembles language used in Adolf Hitler’s “Mein Kampf,” where he described the “influx of foreign blood” as “poison.”
In addition to this controversial remark, Trump also quoted Russian President Vladimir Putin and expressed admiration for dictators such as Hungarian President Viktor Orban and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un. Trump suggested that even Putin believes President Joe Biden has been involved in a “politically motivated prosecution of his political rival.”
During the same event, Trump referred to Orban as “highly respected” and described Kim as “very nice.”
In a crucial quote, Trump reiterated his stance on illegal immigration, stating, “Illegal immigration is poisoning the blood of our nation. They’re coming from prisons, from mental institutions—from all over the world.”
Critics, including Biden-Harris 2024 spokesperson Ammar Moussa, accused Trump of channeling figures like Adolf Hitler, praising Kim Jong Un, and quoting Vladimir Putin, all while running for president on a promise to rule as a dictator, posing a threat to American democracy. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie labeled Trump’s comments about illegal immigrants as “disgusting,” and NYU history professor Ruth Ben-Ghiat compared the statements to “fascist rhetoric,” drawing parallels with Mussolini’s dehumanizing language.
This incident follows a pattern, as Trump had previously made similar comments in October, accusing undocumented immigrants of “poisoning the blood of our country.” The Anti-Defamation League expressed concerns about the potential for these statements to incite violence. In November, Trump faced condemnation again for describing political extremist groups as “vermin,” a term historically used in Nazi propaganda to dehumanize Jews. Trump has outlined even more extreme versions of his immigration policies if re-elected, including mass arrests and detention of illegal immigrants in camps.
On a tangent, Trump also asserted in a Truth Social post that Biden “is a threat to democracy,” employing a phrase he frequently uses to counter criticisms from Biden, who similarly characterizes Trump using the same language.