On Wednesday, President Trump spoke out about the existence of illegal gang members in America, reports The Hill.

President Trump on Illegal Gangs

Since their inception, illegal immigrants who also happen to be members of gangs have earned a very bad rap. Many Americans have furthermore expressed concerns about the added crime and lack of skills which often follow gang members. On Wednesday, President Trump vocalized his concerns with gang members who unlawfully cross the U.S. Southern border in the hereinafter statements:

"We have people coming into the country, or trying to come in, we’re stopping a lot of them; but we’re 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."

The President shared the foregoing remarks during a meeting with California leaders who oppose their state's current "sanctuary state" laws.

Reactions to President Trump's Statements

Similarly to the majority of the President's public statements, reactions varied from person to person. Some Americans viewed his rhetoric about illegal gang members in a favorable light; however, other Americans expressed aversion to the remarks and even accused President Trump of racism. Accusations of racism and xenophobia are moreover very common amongst individuals who dislike the President.

Nevertheless, the majority of the Commander-In-Chief's backers supported his statements. Conservatives and other right-leaning individuals furthermore noted the danger that gangs pose to Americans. Refusing to denounce and take action against illegal gang members simply due to fear of being labeled racist is unwise, opined many Trump supporters.

The President's critics especially seemed to take issue with him referring to the illegal gang members as "animals." Critics seized this particular word to justify their assertions that Trump harbors ill will towards immigrants, Mexicans, and Hispanics. However, Trump supporters rapidly pushed back against the aforementioned accusations, claiming that the actions of the illegal gang members, and not their race, is why the President labeled them as "animals."

Finally, members of the Trump administration have moved to pursue legal action against California's sanctuary state laws.