Former President Donald Trump shocked political analysts across the spectrum on Monday with a controversial statement about “bad genes” during an interview with conservative commentator Hugh Hewitt. The remarks, described by critics as echoing eugenicist rhetoric reminiscent of Adolf Hitler’s ideology, stirred intense reactions as Trump aimed his comments at undocumented immigrants.
“Many of them murdered far more than one person,” Trump asserted. “A murderer, I believe this, it’s in their genes. And we got a lot of bad genes in our country right now.”
The interview clip was replayed on CNN, where host John Berman appeared visibly unsettled by Trump’s remarks. “He was calling them murderers,” Berman emphasized, setting the tone for a heated discussion with political experts.
Berman invited Republican strategist Lanhee Chen and Democratic strategist Aisha Mills to weigh in on the issue. Mills expressed grave concern over Trump’s language, suggesting it revealed his authoritarian leanings and admiration for oppressive regimes.
“We have long known that Donald Trump has revered the Nazis,” Mills stated. “He has revered Hitler, has read his books…Trump has had a very sinister philosophy of wanting to be a dictator.” She cautioned viewers against dismissing Trump’s words as merely a “Freudian slip,” insisting they reflect a dangerous ideology.
“He would absolutely try to exterminate an entire group of people because he thinks that their genes are somehow different than his,” Mills continued. “I say this with all the sternness that you hear in my voice because it is serious and Americans should recognize that.”
Chen, while trying to moderate the discussion, also found himself distancing from Trump’s comments. “This is an example of an issue where Trump would have the opportunity to have an advantage, which is immigration,” Chen commented. “But comments like this are certainly not useful in driving that advantage.”
The controversy quickly spread to social media, where experts echoed Mills’ concerns. Constitutional attorney Anthony Michael Kreis tweeted, “Donald Trump has gone full eugenicist here. It’s so deeply harmful.”
Pradheep J. Shanker, a contributor to the conservative National Review, agreed but appeared less surprised by Trump’s rhetoric. “This isn’t even surprising from him,” Shanker tweeted. “He doesn’t give a damn about the harm.”
Trump’s latest remarks have reignited debates about his approach to immigration, as well as concerns over his inflammatory rhetoric. While his critics are calling out the dangerous implications of his statements, others in his camp appear cautious, aware that such comments might undermine his position on an issue that could otherwise rally his supporters.