A Trump appointee serving on West Point’s Board of Visitors repeatedly spread the conspiracy theory that the Biden administration is bringing in nonwhite immigrants as part of a “grand plan,” according to a report by CNN’s KFile.
KFile reviewed the recent comments of retired Army Col. Douglas Macgregor, who was appointed to the West Point board in the final months of the Trump administration.
Speaking on New York local radio in April about the influx of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border, Macgregor said the Biden administration wants to have “as many non-Europeans as possible” to outnumber white Americans.
“The idea is that they have to bring in as many non-Europeans as possible in order to outnumber the numbers of Americans of European ancestry who live in the United States,” Macgregor said. “That’s what it’s all about.”
Macgregor further said the U.S. was encouraging the “worst elements” to “enjoy the fruits of citizenship” without earning them, according to CNN.
“And I think some of you must have seen the thousands of pregnant women coming up from Latin America so they can have their children here. And then the child immediately is declared an American citizen,” he continued. “And again, all of this is part of the grand plan. This is what Mr. Biden and his supporters want. They want another country. They don’t want the United States.”
Andrew Bates, a White House spokesperson, blasted the remarks in a statement to CNN, stating that the “hateful and grotesque sentiments are antithetical to the values and character of our nation and armed forces — whose standards, excellence, and professionalism are without comparison.”
A White House official told the news outlet that Macgregor’s standing on West Point’s board is being reviewed.
Pentagon spokesperson Susan Gough told CNN that the army has “no input as to who is appointed to the USMA Board of Visitors. West Point’s responsibility is to update the Board of Visitors, not administer or appoint it.”
The Hill has reached out to the Pentagon and White House for comment.
Prior to his appointment to the board, Macgregor was hired in November to aid in the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan under then-President Trump.
The West Point board, according to CNN, includes members of Congress and presidential appointees and is charged with carrying out inquiries into the academy’s “morale and discipline, curriculum, instruction, physical equipment, fiscal affairs, and academic methods.”
People typically serve three-year terms.