A new poll reveals that a majority of Americans believe it is fair to classify members of the MS-13 gang as “animals.”
Fifty-six percent of American adults who took part in the Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll agreed with President Trump that calling members of the gang “animals” is fair, while forty-four percent said the characterization was unfair, according to a The Hill
Fifty-two percent of those that took part in the poll added that the comments that “dehumanize” members of MS-13 are acceptable.
The survey question follows Trump’s comment referring to members of MS-13 as “animals” during an immigration roundtable last week.
Trump spoke later about his comments saying, “We are taking people out of the country, you wouldn’t believe how bad these people are. These aren’t people. These are animals, and we’re taking them out of the country at a rate that’s never happened before.” (RELATED: Trump Doubles Down On MS-13 ‘Animals’ Comment: ‘They’re Not People. These Are Animals’)
The Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll found that Americans still support immigration reform that includes a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers.
Two-thirds of those surveyed said that they would support a deal that provides Dreamers with a pathway to citizenship in exchange for shifting immigration rules to prioritize merit over family ties, eliminating the diversity visa lottery and funding “barrier security” on the southern border of America.
The Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll online survey was conducted from May 21-22 and consisted of 1,347 registered voters. Thirty-seven percent of those that took the survey were Democrats, 32 percent were Republican, 29 percent were independent, and 2 percent were other.
Full results from the poll will be listed online later this week.