President Donald Trump's 'bad genetics' comment on immigrants has triggered widespread condemnation, with many branding it as a form of eugenics. The president made the remarks during a telephone interview with Fox & Friends host Brian Kilmeade earlier this month.
He suggested that some immigrants who end up involved in crime or violence do so because their genetics are different. The comment has reignited discussions about the role of heredity in the president's views on migration and public safety.
The Comment and Its Immediate Context
Speaking about recent violent incidents, including a shooting at a university campus in Virginia, Mr Trump noted that a number of migrants had been allowed into the country who later caused problems. 'There's something wrong there. The genetics are not exactly your genetics, it's one of those problems, Brian,' the president told the host.
He added that it was a terrible thing that happens too often. This latest statement builds directly on earlier comments from 2024, when Mr Trump told a radio audience that we got a lot of bad genes in our country right now in reference to immigrant criminals. It also echoes his repeated claims that migrants are poisoning the blood of our country.
Supporters view the remarks as blunt talk on the failures of previous immigration policies, while opponents see them as crossing into dangerous territory by implying some groups are genetically predisposed to antisocial behaviour.
Historical Roots of the Eugenics Accusation
The term eugenics refers to the early 20th-century pseudoscientific movement that sought to enhance the genetic quality of the human population. Advocates pushed for immigration restrictions and forced sterilisation to prevent the entry or reproduction of those deemed to have inferior genes, often tied to racial biases.
In the United States, this led to the Immigration Act of 1924, which limited arrivals from Southern and Eastern Europe based on supposed genetic inferiority, and inspired sterilisation laws affecting thousands, mostly from marginalised groups. Similar thinking was taken to extremes by the Nazis.
Although discredited by modern science, which recognises the interplay of genes, environment and culture, the language of good genes versus bad genes persists. Analysts argue that Mr Trump's references revive these ideas. Geneticists emphasise there is no simple genetic marker for criminality.
Expert and Public Backlash
Critics and experts have condemned the remarks. Bioethicist Daphne O. Martschenko, writing in The Hastings Center's Bioethics Forum, described Trump's linking of immigration, crime, and 'bad genes' as part of a harmful historical pattern where genes and behaviour claims perpetuate social damage and influence policy.
Paleobiologist Beth Shapiro, president of the American Genetic Association, stated 'This is eugenics', in response to similar comments, adding, 'As President of the American Genetics Association and a human, I reject this. We are better than this.'
This is eugenics. As President of the American Genetics Association and a human, I reject this. We are better than this. https://t.co/Xe8E3BAu0n
— Beth Shapiro (@bonesandbugs) October 8, 2024
An Instagram reel posted by the account Reich-Wing Watch featured the clip and quoted an immigration expert who labelled Mr Trump an old school eugenicist nativist. The post highlighted concerns that such rhetoric could influence policy on vetting and deportation.
Civil rights organisations have warned it risks stigmatising communities from non-European backgrounds. The White House has pushed back, insisting the president is highlighting threats and the need for better screening.
