It’s one of those quotes that makes you stop and hit rewind just to make sure you heard it right. Lately, a specific phrase from Donald Trump has been making the rounds, sparking a massive debate about where he’s getting his info and what it means for the future of the country. He said some people were basically "born to be criminals." Now, if you’re trying to keep up with the news in 2026, you know the rhetoric is getting sharper. This wasn't just a one-off comment at a rally. It’s part of a bigger, kinda intense fixation on genetics and behavior that’s been popping up in his speeches and interviews over the last couple of years.
Where did the phrase "born to be criminals" come from?
The most direct instance of this happened during an interview in late 2025. Trump was talking about crime in cities like Chicago and Baltimore. He’s never been shy about calling these places "hellholes," but this time he went a step further. He was discussing the people being arrested in federal "safe zone" sweeps and said, honestly, that some of these folks are "hard-line" and "will never be any good."
The exact quote that caught fire was: "They're born criminals. They were born to be criminals, that's all they are."
It didn't stop there. He’s doubled down on this idea that criminality is something you're stuck with from birth. During an Oval Office address around the same time, he framed federal intervention in major cities as a necessity because, in his view, you can't "rehab" people who have "bad genes."
The "Bad Genes" Interview
To understand the "born to be" comment, you have to look back at his 2024 interview with Hugh Hewitt. That’s where he famously claimed that for murderers, "it’s in their genes." He told Hewitt, "We got a lot of bad genes in our country right now."
The Trump campaign usually tries to clean this up afterward. They’ll say he’s only talking about "convicted murderers" or "illegal immigrants who have committed violent crimes," not everyone. But for a lot of people—scientists, historians, and political rivals—the language feels a lot like old-school "race science" from the early 20th century.
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Is there any science behind "born to be criminals"?
Short answer: Not really. Not the way he's describing it.
Back in the late 1800s, there was this Italian guy named Cesare Lombroso. He’s basically the father of the "born criminal" theory. He thought you could tell if someone was a criminal just by looking at the shape of their head or the size of their jaw. He called them "atavistic," basically saying they were evolutionary throwbacks.
Modern science has pretty much dunked on that. While researchers do study how genetics might influence things like impulsivity or aggression, there is no "crime gene." Most experts today agree that your environment—where you grow up, your family life, your opportunities—matters way more than whatever is in your DNA.
Why experts are worried
Historians are getting a bit of a "history repeating itself" vibe here. Benjamin Carter Hett, a history professor who wrote The Nazi Menace, has pointed out that this kind of "criminal biology" was a huge part of the Nazi playbook. They used the idea that some people were "genetically inferior" or "born wrong" to justify some of the worst atrocities in history.
When a leader starts saying people are "born to be criminals," it changes how the state treats them. If you think someone is "born bad," you stop trying to fix the system. You stop worrying about housing, education, or mental health. You just focus on "getting them out of the system," which is exactly what Trump mentioned in his Todd Starnes interview.
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The "Racehorse Theory" Connection
Trump has actually been talking about genes for decades. He’s a big fan of what he calls the "Racehorse Theory." Basically, he believes that some people are just born with better "equipment" than others. He’s applied this to:
- Success in business: Telling Oprah in 1988 that you have to be "born lucky" with the right genes.
- Intelligence: Frequently mentioning his "good genes" because of his uncle who was a professor at MIT.
- Politics: Telling a crowd in Minnesota in 2020, "You have good genes... the racehorse theory... you have good genes in Minnesota."
It’s a very binary worldview. You’re either born a winner or you’re born a "loser" or a "criminal." There isn't much room for growth or change in that philosophy.
How this rhetoric impacts policy in 2026
This isn't just "tough talk" for TV. It’s actually filtering down into how the government is being run. We’re seeing a shift toward:
- Militarized Policing: If criminals can't be reformed, the focus shifts to "neutralizing" them. This leads to more support for federal troops in cities.
- Genetic Borders: There’s been a push for DNA testing at the border and even for those already in the country to identify "bad genes" or "genetic threats."
- Ending Reform: Programs that focus on rehabilitation are being defunded in favor of longer sentences and harsher conditions.
Responses from the other side
Maryland Governor Wes Moore has been one of the most vocal critics. He’s called the rhetoric "ignorant" and "dehumanizing." After the "born to be criminals" comment, Moore made a point to speak directly to the kids in Baltimore, telling them they aren't "natural-born killers" and that their future isn't written in their DNA.
The White House, under the current administration, has denounced the "bad genes" comments as "hateful" and "disgusting." But the reality is, this language works for a certain part of the electorate. For many MAGA supporters, it feels like "common sense" or "telling it like it is," even if the science doesn't back it up.
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What most people get wrong about this debate
A lot of people think this is just about "hating immigrants." While that's a big part of it, the "born to be criminals" line is actually broader. It targets American citizens in "blue" cities just as much as people at the border.
It’s a shift from behavioral judgment (you did something bad) to biological judgment (you are bad). That’s a massive distinction in the American legal system, which is supposed to be based on individual actions and the possibility of redemption.
Actionable Insights: How to process this info
If you're trying to navigate this landscape, it helps to separate the political theater from the actual facts. Here’s what you should keep in mind:
- Check the context: Whenever you hear a clip of Trump saying someone has "bad genes," look at who he's talking about. Is he talking about specific criminals, or is he generalizing about an entire city or group of people?
- Look at the policy, not just the quote: The real impact isn't in the speech; it's in the executive orders. Watch for changes in how the DOJ handles sentencing and how ICE uses biological data.
- Understand the science: Read up on modern epigenetics. It shows that genes are "expressed" based on our environment. Even if someone has a "predisposition," it doesn't mean they are "born to be" anything.
- Stay informed on local vs. federal power: The debate over sending federal troops into cities like Chicago is a huge constitutional issue. Knowing the limits of the Insurrection Act is key to understanding if these "born criminal" crackdowns are even legal.
The "born to be criminals" rhetoric is likely going to be a centerpiece of the political conversation for the foreseeable future. Understanding its roots—from 19th-century eugenics to modern-day "racehorse theory"—is the only way to see the full picture of what’s being proposed for the country’s future.