CALIFORNIA/GANGS/IMMIGRATION/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump is defending his use of the word ‘animals’ to describe some immigrants who enter the country illegally, saying he would continue to use the term to refer to violent gang members despite a sharp rebuke from Democratic leaders. Answering a reporter’s question during a meeting Thursday [5-17-18] with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, Trump said his comment a day earlier had clearly been directed at members of the MS-13 gang. Trump has been under fire for comments he made Wednesday [5-16-18] while railing against California for its so-called sanctuary immigration policies. Trump was speaking at a roundtable with local California officials when he responded to a comment that had referenced MS-13. Trump has repeatedly referred to members of the violent street gang as ‘animals’ in speeches, rallies and at White House events. He has also used the term to describe terrorists and school shooters.”
-Jill Colvin, “‘Animals’? Trump says he’ll keep using term for gang members,” The Associated Press, May 18, 2018