WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is defending his use of the word “animals” to describe some immigrants who enter the country illegally, saying he would continue to use the term to refer to violent gang members despite a sharp rebuke from Democratic leaders.Answering a reporter’s question during a meeting Thursday with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, Trump said his comment a day earlier had clearly been directed at members of the MS-13 gang.“MS-13, these are animals coming onto our country,” Trump said, repeating his language from Wednesday. “When the MS-13 comes in, when the other gang members come into our country, I refer to them as animals. And guess what? I always will.”Trump has been under fire for comments he made Wednesday while railing against California for its so-called sanctuary immigration policies.