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Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump looks on during a campaign event on December 19, 2023 in Waterloo, Iowa.
CNN
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Donald Trump said Tuesday at a rally in Waterloo, Iowa, that undocumented migrants are “destroying the blood of our country” — the latest anti-immigrant comments from the former president in the sprint to the Iowa caucuses — and pushed back on recent criticism that his rhetoric has echoed Adolf Hitler, telling a crowd in Iowa that he’s never read “Mein Kampf.”
“It’s crazy what’s going on. They’re ruining our country. And it’s true, they’re destroying the blood of our country. That’s what they’re doing. They’re destroying our country. They don’t like it when I said that,” Trump said.
“And I’ve never read ‘Mein Kampf.’ They said, ‘Oh Hitler said that.’ In a much different way.’”
In response to similar comments Trump made at a rally in Durham, New Hampshire, over the weekend about immigrants “poisoning the blood of our country,” President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign said Trump “parroted Adolf Hitler.”
Trump’s rally came just hours after the Colorado Supreme Court removed him from the state’s 2024 ballot, ruling that he isn’t an eligible presidential candidate because of the 14th Amendment’s “insurrectionist ban.” The ruling, which will be placed on hold until early next year pending appeal to the US Supreme Court, adds to the myriad legal challenges Trump will be facing during the election year.
Although the Trump campaign said it would “swiftly file an appeal to the United States Supreme Court and a concurrent request for a stay of this deeply undemocratic decision,” Trump didn’t mention the ruling during the Tuesday night rally, which marked his fourth trip to the state this month.
His stepped-up campaigning signals the importance he’s putting on the first-in-the-nation GOP caucus state, where he has a strong polling advantage. But it’s exactly that edge that may be bringing him back – he’s trying to fight any sense of complacency among supporters, his advisers have told CNN, and solidify his front-runner status ahead of the next contests in New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina.
As he looks to drive turnout among his base, Trump’s more frequent visits to early voting states have come with increasingly harsh rhetoric – especially on immigration – that has drawn sharp criticism from Democrats and some Republicans.
At another New Hampshire rally last month, Trump used the word “vermin” to describe his political rivals, drawing broad condemnation, including from Biden, who likened his comments to “language you heard in Nazi Germany.”
Amanda Smith is a dedicated U.S. correspondent with a passion for uncovering the stories that shape the nation. With a background in political science, she provides in-depth analysis and insightful commentary on domestic affairs, ensuring readers are well-informed about the latest developments across the United States.
