Donald Trump doubled down on his controversial comments about illegal immigration from Mexico on Monday, saying, “infectious disease is pouring across the border.”
Trump issued a lengthy — nearly 900 word — statement invoking the death of a San Francisco woman shot and killed last week by a suspect who had previously been deported to Mexico five times.
“This is merely one of thousands of similar incidents throughout the United States,” Trump said Monday. “In other words, the worst elements in Mexico are being pushed into the United States by the Mexican government.”
{mosads}The 2016 Republican presidential candidate said Mexican drug cartels are using immigrants to smuggle heroin, cocaine and other illicit drugs into the United States.
“The Border Patrol knows this. Likewise, tremendous infectious disease is pouring across the border,” Trump continued.
His latest comments come nearly three weeks after he made remarks at his White House campaign launch that led to an intense public backlash from business and Hispanic groups.
Trump at the event said Mexico is “sending people that have lots of problems. … They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.”
Univision, NBCUniversal, Macy’s, NASCAR and Serta all announced they would be cutting their business ties with the celebrity real estate developer and reality TV star over the remarks.
ESPN become the latest business to drop Trump, announcing Monday it would no longer hold the ESPY Celebrity Golf Classic charity event at the Trump National Golf Club in Los Angeles.
Over the weekend, Trump acknowledged his business interests had suffered.
But the wildcard GOP candidate has shown no signs he plans to tone down his remarks about illegal immigration.
Trump on Monday also said his original remarks were being “deliberately distorted by the media.”
“I have great respect for Mexico and love their people and their peoples’ great spirit. The problem is, however, that their leaders are far smarter, more cunning, and better negotiators than ours,” Trump said, mentioning trade policies.
“I have lost a lot during this Presidential run defending the people of the United States,” Trump added, nodding to the cut business ties.
“Macy’s, NBC, Serta and NASCAR have all taken the weak and very sad position of being politically correct even though they are wrong in terms of what is good for our country,” he continued, also criticizing Univision.