After former President Donald Trump talked about migrants crossing the U.S. Southern border and “poisoning the blood” of our country, Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) defended the former president against the charge that he is anti-immigrant on a CNN segment with Abby Phillip.
“I know that some are trying to make it seem like President Trump is anti-immigrant,” Malliotakis said. “The reality is he was married to immigrants, he’s hired immigrants.” (Two out of Trump’s three wives have been immigrants — his first, the late Ivana Trump, was from Eastern Europe as is his current wife, former First Lady Melania Trump. Both were fashion models.)
Below is the segment where Malliotakis defends Trump after his latest provocation:
Phillip: Trump said immigrants are ‘poisoning the blood’ of the nation
— Biden-Harris HQ (@BidenHQ) December 19, 2023
GOP Rep. Malliotakis: He didn't say immigrants
Phillip: He was attacking immigrants, saying they were bringing crime
Malliotakis: But that's true
Phillip: So you agree he was talking about immigrants pic.twitter.com/7GEVdmmeDv
Malliotakis, the daughter of Greek and Cuban immigrants, may try to split hairs on what Trump meant — she says, rightly, that Trump said liberal policies were “poisoning the blood” and did not say specifically “immigrants” were poisoning the blood, even if the policies he excoriated are those allowing immigrants into the U.S. He also mentioned people migrating from South America, Asia, and Africa.
But the Congresswoman did acknowledge that Trump meant to criticize immigration, and concurred with statements Trump made about immigrants coming over the border “bringing crime” and “bringing violence.” (“That’s true,” Malliotakis said.) Her acknowledgment of Trump’s intent was further than some other Republicans have been so far willing to go.
Along with the Malliotakis segment, the Biden campaign online shared the segment below, which features GOP presidential candidate Ron DeSantis, questioned about Trump’s “poisoning the blood” quote, and responding “I don’t know what this means with the blood stuff. I know people are trying to draw historical allusions — I don’t know if that’s what he meant.” DeSantis, who doesn’t know what Trump means, earned an undergraduate degree in history from Yale University, magna cum laude.
DeSantis refuses to condemn Trump for echoing Hitler by saying immigrants are ‘poisoning the blood of the country’: I don't know what this means with the blood stuff, I know people are trying to draw historical allusions, I don't know what he meant pic.twitter.com/4olTXyPefw
— Biden-Harris HQ (@BidenHQ) December 19, 2023
