One in three Americans believe that immigrants entering the country illegally are "poisoning the blood of our country," a phrase used by former President Donald Trump and that has been linked to white supremacists, according to a new poll.
The survey, conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) in partnership with the Brookings Institution, highlights a growing acceptance of such language within the political discourse, particularly by supporters of former President Donald Trump.
The annual survey aimed to assess the deep political divisions in the U.S., with specific attention to how the phrase "poisoning the blood of our country" resonates among different demographics.
The data shows that roughly 34% of Americans agree with the statement, while 63% disagree.
The survey illustrates stark partisan divides, with 61% of Republicans, 30% of independents, and only 13% of Democrats expressing agreement with such language.
Among those who trust far-right news sources, the sentiment is even more pronounced: about 70% agree with the statement, and 65% of Fox News viewers share this view. Notably, a majority (60%) of white evangelical Protestants also concur with it.
Robert P. Jones, president and founder of PRRI, expressed concern over the findings, describing the support for such rhetoric as "truly alarming." He remarked on the unsettling nature of having to include questions regarding groups "poisoning the blood" of others in a survey, calling it "Nazi rhetoric."
The American Values Survey referenced previous comments made by Trump, who has used the phrase multiple times over the past year, including in an interview and during campaign events.
His remarks have included unfounded allegations against immigrants, such as claims of them eating pets in an Ohio city and being linked to violent gangs. The language echoes themes found in Hitler's "Mein Kampf," where he discussed the concept of blood purity and the dangers he attributed to Jewish people.
In a statement, Trump spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt characterized his comments on immigration as part of a broader strategy to restore effective immigration policies.
She outlined Trump's commitment to implementing aggressive crackdowns on illegal immigrants, drug dealers, and human traffickers, aiming for what she described as the largest deportation operation in U.S. history.
Additionally, the survey found that 35% of Americans agree with the statement that "immigrants are invading our country and replacing our cultural and ethnic background," a notion tied to the controversial "white replacement theory."
This level of agreement has remained largely stable since PRRI first posed the question in 2019.
The poll was conducted online from August 16 to October 4, involving a sample of 5,027 adults across all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Swing states' Latino communities are largely divided over whether to support former President Donald Trump or Kamala Harris as the elections draw near. For some, Trump's economic policies outweigh concerns about his harsh stance on immigration. For others, his inflammatory language and promises of mass deportations remain an insurmountable obstacle.
Despite these attacks—most of which are aimed at the Latino community, given that they constitute a large portion of those seeking to migrate to the U.S.—a recent New York Times/Siena College poll found that most Latinos do not feel personally targeted by his statements.
Specifically, two-thirds of those surveyed said they believed Trump was not referring to people like them when he spoke about immigrants, while 50% of foreign-born Latino voters felt the same way. Furthermore, the poll revealed what researchers labeled as "striking signs of support for Mr. Trump's most aggressive immigration policies.
As the 2024 presidential election draws near, the PRRI poll further illustrates the ever-growing divide among Americans about the nation's trajectory and the critical issues influencing voter decisions, including almost a quarter of Republican Donald Trump supporters saying that he should declare election results invalid and "do whatever it takes to assume office if he loses" in November.
A sizable percentage of Americans, particularly Republicans who view Trump favorably, still support political violence and deny the legitimacy of the elections.
Nearly one in four Republicans with a favorable opinion of Trump (23%) and 19% of all Republicans believe that if Trump loses the election, he should declare the results invalid and take whatever measures are necessary to assume office.
In contrast, 12% of Democrats believe Kamala Harris should take similar actions.
