Why Does Trump Keep Saying Migrants Are ‘Poisoning’ America? Many GOP Caucusgoers Like It

Republican front-runner Donald Trump shows no signs of backing away from his widely condemned and oft-repeated remarks that immigrants entering the U.S. illegally are “poisoning the blood of our country.”

One potential reason why?

A lot of likely Republican caucusgoers in Iowa like what he’s saying, according a recent Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom Iowa Poll.

A poll of 502 likely Republican caucusgoers conducted Dec. 2-7 asked whether several statements Trump has made recently on the campaign trail would make them more or less likely to support him — including his contention that immigrants who enter the U.S. illegally are “poisoning the blood” of America.

The poll found that 42% of likely Republican caucusgoers are more likely to support Trump for his “poisoning the blood” comments; 28% said they are less likely to support him; and 29% said it does not matter.

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Pluralities of likely Republican caucusgoers in the overwhelming majority of demographic categories in the poll say they are more likely to support Trump for saying immigrants illegally entering the country are “poisoning the blood” of America.

That includes respondents of all age and income levels. It also includes married and single caucusgoers and those with children under 18, as well as likely caucusgoers from all four of Iowa’s congressional districts.

Pluralities of men and women both say their support increases, with 45% of men and 38% of women saying they are more likely to support Trump after hearing him say illegal immigrants are “poisoning the blood” of America.

His words are also popular with first-time caucusgoers, who favor Trump 5 to 1 over Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, with 63% naming Trump their first choice. Half of first-time attendees say their support increases in light of his “poisoning the blood” statements, 18% say it decreases and 30% say it doesn’t matter.

In other words, Trump has a very receptive audience.

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In a Waterloo, Iowa, campaign rally Tuesday night, Trump again repeated his harsh rhetoric, doubling down on his contention that immigrants coming into the U.S. are “poisoning the blood of our country.”

He also waved off criticisms that his words echoed Adolf Hitler, who talked about “blood poisoning” in his speeches and his manifesto, “Mein Kampf.”

“It’s true, they’re destroying the blood of our country, that’s what they’re doing,” Trump told rallygoers. “They’re destroying our country. They don’t like it that I said that. And I never read ‘Mein Kampf.’ They said, ‘oh, Hitler said that, in a much different way.'”

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