President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before boarding Air Force One at Lehigh Valley International Airport, Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025, in Allentown, Pa.

US President Donald Trump detoured from touting his tariff-based economic policies to make a plainly racist claim about migrant labourers during his Tuesday morning appearance on CNBC’s Squawk Box.

Echoing the bigotry of centuries past, the president claimed that migrants are uniquely suited to physically strenuous farm work, asserting that it comes “naturally” to them.

“In many ways,” Trump added, “they’re very, very special people.”

The comment came as Trump acknowledged that his severe crackdown on immigration, including arrests of people who are following judges’ orders,

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