Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville told reporters on Tuesday that he wanted the former president to be even “tougher” in his rhetoric on immigrants, when asked about Trump saying that they are “poisoning the blood” of the United States.
“I’m mad he wasn’t tougher than that,” said Tuberville, a conservative Alabama Republican, “because have you seen what’s happening at the border? We are being overrun. They’re taking us over.”
He continued, “They’re taking us over, so a little bit disappointed he wasn’t a little bit tougher.”
Over the weekend, Trump told supporters at rally in Durham, New Hampshire, that immigrants “from all over the world” are “pouring into the country,” reiterating a phrase he used previously that sparked outcry from the Anti-Defamation League.
“They’re poisoning the blood of our country. That’s what they’ve done,” Trump said. “They poison mental institutions and prisons all over the world, not just in South America … but all over the world. They’re coming into our country, from Africa, from Asia, all over the world.”
Some of Tuberville’s Senate GOP colleagues have pushed back on Trump’s comments this week.
Senate Minority Whip John Thune told CNN on Monday that he did not share Trump’s perspective on immigrants.
“My grandfather’s an immigrant, so that’s not a view I share. We’re a nation of immigrants, but we are a nation of laws and we’ve got to enforce the law,” said Thune, a Republican from South Dakota.
When asked about Trump’s comments, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell cited his wife.
“Well, it strikes me, that didn’t bother him when he appointed Elaine Chao Secretary of Transportation,” he told CNN’s Manu Raju. McConnell has been married to Chao since 1993. Chao immigrated to the US as a child, and according to her website, became a US citizen when she was 19.
Tuberville’s comments on immigration come as efforts to pass changes to the US immigration system and border policies have stalled the Senate’s effort to send aid to Ukraine and Israel. Senators had hoped to reach an agreement before leaving town for the holidays, but a deal has so far eluded senators.
CNN’s Kate Sullivan contributed to this report.