Murkowski slams Trump comments as ‘poisoning our country’

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) slammed former President Trump’s recent comment that immigrants were “poisoning the blood” of the country, arguing the former president’s rhetoric is “poisoning our country.”

“With the exception of Alaska Natives and Native Peoples, most of us are daughters and sons of immigrants who came to this country to build a better life for themselves and their families,” Murkowski wrote in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

“Legal immigration from people across the world is woven into the fabric of American exceptionalism, and comments from the former president couldn’t be further from the truth,” she added.

“This is more hateful, harmful rhetoric from Donald Trump that is poisoning our country.”

Murkowski is among a handful of Republicans who have condemned Trump’s remarks made last Saturday during a rally in New Hampshire, where he claimed immigrants were “pouring into” the United States and “poisoning the blood of our country.”

“All over the world they’re coming into our country. From Africa, from Asia, all over the world,” Trump said, suggesting the influx will lead to an uptick in crime and terrorism.

Later on Saturday, Trump wrote on Truth Social, “Immigration is poisoning the blood of our nation.”

The comments drew comparisons to Adolf Hitler from Democrats, the Biden campaign and Vice President Harris, who argued Trump’s words were similar to rhetoric used by the Nazi leader.

Trump pushed back on the Hitler comparison and reiterated his comments while speaking at a rally in Iowa on Tuesday.

“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 — and I never read ‘Mein Kampf,’” Trump said in Iowa, in reference to Hitler’s manifesto.

Senate Republicans appeared to recoil at the comments, with some arguing the former president’s rhetoric went too far.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Tuesday criticized Trump, pointing out the then-president appointed his wife, Elaine Chao, who is Taiwanese American, to serve as secretary of Transportation in 2016.  

Senate Republican Whip John Thune (S.D.), the No. 2 GOP senator, told The Hill Trump’s rhetoric crossed the line, while noting several Republicans agree the influx of migrants coming through the southern border is a major national security issue.

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said he thinks “it’s unhelpful rhetoric,” while Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) noted she does not agree with the comments.

Other Republicans, notably Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), appeared to downplay Trump’s comments, stressing the concerns over border security. Vance on Tuesday argued the former president was referring to how illegal drugs crossing the border are poisoning Americans.