Critics continue to call out Donald Trump's shocking praise for Minnesota's “good genes” as chillingly reminiscent of Adolf Hitler’s murderous eugenics policy.
Holocaust historian Steve Silberman called Trump’s determination of who possesses worthy genes “indistinguishable from the Nazi rhetoric that led to Jews, disabled people, LGBTQ, Romani and others being exterminated.” Logan Bayroff, spokesperson for the Jewish advocacy organization J Street, told reporters, “Again and again, Trump and his allies publicly, gleefully embrace incredibly dangerous white nationalist tropes and ideas.”
It’s “clear the president’s far-right worldview poses an unprecedented threat to refugees, immigrants and vulnerable minorities in this country ― one of the many reasons why he faces vehement opposition from the large majority of American Jewish voters,” he added.
At a Minnesota campaign rally last week Trump praised Minnesotans’ genes during his speech. Minnesota is a state that’s 84% white and where German and Scandinavian ancestry dominates. “You have good genes, you know that, right?” Trump told a crowd of overwhelmingly white supporters. “A lot of it is about the genes, isn’t it, don’t you believe?” he added. “The racehorse theory. You think we’re so different? You have good genes in Minnesota.”
The “racehorse theory” of genetics holds that some human beings are born genetically superior to others. Halie Soifer, executive director of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, characterized Trump’s remarks as “eugenics” — basing a human being’s worth on genes. “It was used by Nazis to justify genocide,” she said. “Today, it’s used by white nationalists — & apparently the @POTUS— to justify hate.”
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