Trump calls some migrants 'not people' and 'animals' at Ohio rally

At a March 16, 2024 campaign rally in Vandalia, Ohio, held in support of Senate candidate Bernie Moreno, Trump said of certain migrants, 'In some cases, they're not people, in my opinion,' and separately, 'These are animals, OK?' The remarks came during a segment of the speech discussing migrants with criminal records allegedly sent by foreign governments. Commentators characterized the language as an escalation of Trump's dehumanizing rhetoric about immigrants, a recurring theme of his 2024 campaign. Asked afterward about the comments, Trump defended his phrasing as necessary to 'stir debate.' The same rally is the source of a separately documented 'bloodbath' remark already recorded elsewhere in this archive.

“In some cases, they're not people, in my opinion... These are animals, OK?” Quote verified against source