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.

The poll, conducted by Selzer & Co., has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.

More: 'Poisoning the blood' of US: Trump's harsh words grow support among likely Iowa caucusgoers

How widespread is Iowa GOP caucusgoers' support for Trump's 'blood-poisoning' speech?

Pretty widespread.

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.

Which likely Republican caucusgoers are less likely to support Trump for his 'poisoning the blood' speech?

In a few categories, Trump's support decreases as a result of his "blood-poisoning" statements.

A plurality of likely caucusgoers who identify as independent say they are less likely than more likely to support Trump for his "blood-poisoning" words, 43%-27%, with 27% saying it doesn't matter.

And pluralities of likely caucusgoers who pick DeSantis or former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley as their first choices say they are less likely than more likely to support Trump for those words.

Forty-one percent of likely caucusgoers who favor DeSantis say their support drops for Trump over his words, while 27% say it increases, with 32% saying it doesn't matter.

For those who prefer Haley, 52% say they are less likely to support Trump for his "blood-poisoning" speech, compared with 24% who say they are more likely to support him, with another 24% saying it doesn't matter.

Suburban likely caucusgoers are evenly split on the question, with 33% saying they are more likely to support Trump, 33% saying they are less likely and 34% saying his words don't matter.

Is Trump still repeating his 'poisoning the blood' rhetoric?

Yes.

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.'"

What are Trump's opponents saying about his 'poisoning the blood' rhetoric?

Trump's chief opponents in the primary race, DeSantis and Haley, have offered less than full-throated condemnations of the former president's speech.

Haley told the Register Wednesday that Trump's rhetoric of immigrants "poisoning the blood" of America is "not constructive" and "not necessary."

"I think we need to secure the border," she said, before referencing the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. "I think we need to do whatever it takes to actually stop this inflow of illegal immigrants because America is acting like it's Sept. 10, and we better remember what Sept. 12 felt like. And I don't think you have to have that rhetoric to do it. That rhetoric is not helpful."

DeSantis similarly criticized Trump's remarks in an interview this week with Christian Broadcasting Network as not helpful with America's southern border problems.

"When you start talking about using those types of terms, I don’t think that that helps us move the ball forward. I would not put it in those terms," DeSantis said in a video posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

On Monday, DeSantis said during a FOX News interview posted on X: "I don’t know what this means with the blood stuff. I know people are trying to draw historical allusions. I don’t know if that’s what he meant."

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has offered more full-throated criticism of Trump on CNN, saying he was "disgusted" by Trump.

"He's dog-whistling it to blame it on people from areas that don’t look like us," Christie told CNN's Jake Tapper.

Register reporters Galen Bacharier and Stephen Gruber-Miller contributed to this story.

Mike Trautmann is the News Director/Politics Editor for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at mtrautmann@gannett.com; Twitter: @DMRPoliticsCzar.

About the Iowa Poll

The Iowa Poll, conducted Dec. 2-7, 2023, for The Des Moines Register, NBC News and Mediacom by Selzer & Co. of Des Moines, is based on telephone interviews with 502 registered voters in Iowa who say they will definitely or probably attend the 2024 Republican caucuses.

Interviewers with Quantel Research contacted 3,733 randomly selected voters from the Iowa secretary of state’s voter registration list by telephone. The sample was supplemented with additional phone number lookups. Interviews were administered in English. Responses for all contacts were adjusted by age, sex and congressional district to reflect their proportions among voters in the list.

Questions based on the sample of 502 voters likely to attend the 2024 Iowa Republican caucuses have a maximum margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points. This means that if this survey were repeated using the same questions and the same methodology, 19 times out of 20, the findings would not vary from the true population value by more than plus or minus 4.4 percentage points. Results based on smaller samples of respondents—such as by gender or age—have a larger margin of error.

Republishing the copyright Iowa Poll without credit to The Des Moines Register, NBC News and Mediacom is prohibited.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Many Iowa GOP caucusgoers support Trump's 'poisoning the blood' comments