Teddy Roosevelt became president despite saying, “I wish very much that the wrong people could be prevented entirely from breeding.” Was this sentiment widely accepted at the time, or were such expressions swept under the rug and not repeated by the press when campaign season came around?

by RusticBohemian

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I'm wondering what to make of this. Today, politicians would face tremendous backlash for saying this. So in the 19th century were such views common and accepted as reasonable? Or did the press not dwell on past questionable statements, like they would today? Or was this sentiment seen as in poor taste, but people liked Teddy enough to give him a pass? Or was something else at play?

HiggetyFlough

More can always be said on the topic of eugenics, but it’s fair to say that in 19th & early 20th century America, Teddy Roosevelt’s opinion would not be considered controversial to the general population and was accepted as a valid and popular political opinion in both the press and general milieu. /u/restricteddata provides more resources and context to American eugenics in the 1920s [here] (https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/lvhiax/what_are_the_best_resources_for_historical/gpes22q/).