Criminals Quote by Conan O'Brien
“Donald Trump said prior to the debate that he wants to be very civil. He said that instead of referring to all Hispanics as criminals, he'll call them criminal Americans.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Late Night with Conan O'Brien, 2016
Trump promised civility but softened language to avoid overt racism, still targeting a group.
In simple terms: He softened rhetoric without changing bias.
Key Takeaway
Critically evaluate political language.
Themes
politics
language
race
civility
media criticism
Mood
critical
skeptical
Type
political
observational
When to use this quote
- political debates
- media analysis
- public statements
Key Concepts
rhetoric
ethics
public discourse
Questions to Reflect On
- How does language shape perception?
- What standards should public figures meet?
A Different Perspective
Politeness can mask prejudice.
![“If they [mexicans] cross the border, I think, and they are violating the law, then that word criminal does connect with that violation, so if they're violating the law, I guess you can call them criminals. We call everybody else criminals that violate the law.” quote by Joe Arpaio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/597/joe-arpaio-9065_borders_if-they-mexicans-cross-the-border-i-thin_1057318.jpg)
![“[ Donald Trump] is a man who ran on building a wall. And I know it was about legal immigration, but he did say incredibly vociferous things about Mexican-Americans and the Latino community that, frankly, regardless of if you take him literally or not, which most of his supporters don't - while…” quote by Margaret Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/0a3/margaret-hoover-4164_building_donald-trump-is-a-man-who-ran-on-buildin_2349404.jpg)
![“To every American, he [Donald Trump] is saying to them, "You elect me and we're going to fix the lawlessness at this border."” quote by Jeff Sessions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f91/jeff-sessions-2380_borders_to-every-american-he-donald-trump-is-say_1592750.jpg)
