President Trump said Tuesday that House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi “came out in favor of MS-13,” the Salvadoran gang that his administration has used as an example of immigrant violence.
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Trump made the allegation while addressing a large dinner in Washington hosted by the socially conservative Susan B. Anthony List.
“The other day, just the other day, Nancy Pelosi came out in favor of MS-13,” Trump said. “That’s the first time I’ve heard that. She wants them to be treated with respect, as do other Democrats. That’s not going to be happening. We’re not going to release violent criminals into our country. We’re going to shut down everything we have to shut down.”
Trump generated controversy last week when he said at the White House, in direct response to a discussion about MS-13, “You wouldn’t believe how bad these people are. These aren’t people. These are animals.”
He followed the Wednesday remark by saying on Thursday, “MS-13, these are animals, they’re coming into our country and we’re getting them out.”
Some of Trump’s political opponents accused him of referring to all illegal immigrants as animals.
Pelosi, a California Democrat, said Friday she was appalled by Trump’s commentary, describing it as un-Christian.
“We’re all God’s children, there’s a spark of divinity in every person on Earth,” Pelosi said. “When the president of the United States says about undocumented immigrants, ‘these are not people, these are animals,’ you have to wonder, does he not believe in the spark of divinity, the dignity and worth of every person?”
