Donald Trump gestures while speaking surrounded by people whose families were victims of illegal immigrants while meeting with the press at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, where some shared their stories of the loss of a loved one. The US business magnate Trump, who is running for President in the 2016 presidential elections, angered members of the Latino community with recent comments but says he will win the Latino vote. AFP PHOTO
BEVERLY HILLS, United States鈥揇onald Trump doubled down Friday on his controversial claim that Mexico is sending criminals to the United States 鈥� but insisted he was misrepresented, and really likes Mexico and Mexicans.
The colorful US property magnate turned Republican White House hopeful also asserted that he will win more Hispanic votes than his rivals, including Democrat Hillary Clinton.
He made his comments after meeting with a group of families who have had loved ones killed by immigrants in the United States illegally.
鈥淪o you have the illegals come in and the illegals kill their children, and we better get smart in the United States,鈥� he told reporters, after the private meeting at a Beverly Hills hotel.
鈥淲henever somebody hears that it was an illegal that was involved with the death of their children, it becomes politically incorrect for a politician to help them. That鈥檚 how messed up our nation is.鈥�
Trump triggered a firestorm when, announcing his White House bid last month, he said Mexico was 鈥渟ending people that have lots of problems鈥� They鈥檙e bringing drugs. They鈥檙e bringing crime. They鈥檙e rapists.鈥�
READ: Magnate Donald Trump announces bid for US presidency | Donald Trump not backing away from immigrant comments
Spanish-language broadcaster Univision, NBC and Macy鈥檚 have all cut business ties with Trump, who also stars in his reality television show 鈥淭he Apprentice.鈥�
On Friday the tycoon claimed they had 鈥渃hickened out鈥� because of the public outcry. But he insisted he had only been talking about immigrants in the United States illegally, not legal migrants, and said he was also not about Mexicans or Mexico itself, but about their leaders.
鈥淓verybody knows that I have great relationships with Mexican people. I have many, many people who work for me who are Mexican. They鈥檙e phenomenal people. I love them. They鈥檙e enormously talented. I have great respect for the country of Mexico,鈥� he said.
But he added: 鈥淭he problem is the country of Mexico has leaders that are far smarter than our leaders, far more cunning than our leaders.
鈥淭heir negotiators are much better than our negotiators. And they鈥檙e sending people to our country that we don鈥檛 want but we take, and they don鈥檛 want. And you know who they鈥檙e sending.鈥�
Trump insisted that the furor over his remarks would not harm his prospects at the polls.
鈥淲hen it鈥檚 all said and done I will win the Hispanic vote over the Democrat, whoever it may be, probably Hillary Clinton, because I will create jobs for the Hispanics, and nobody else will,鈥� he said.
鈥淚鈥檒l take jobs from China and all these other countries鈥� You have no idea how many calls I鈥檓 getting, emails, Twitter, from people, from Mexico, saying 鈥楳r. Trump you鈥檙e right, you鈥檙e right.'鈥�