President Donald Trump (Screen Capture)

(CNSNews.com) - President Donald Trump said Monday that many people are thanking him for getting rid of the “burden” of criminal aliens.

In an interview with “Fox & Friends” host Ainsley Earhardt, the president said his administration so far has “gotten tremendous criminals out of this country.”

“I’m talking about illegal immigrants that were here that caused tremendous crime, that have murdered people, raped people. Horrible things have happened,” Trump said. “They’re getting the hell out or they’re going to prison, and so many towns and cities are thanking me, because we’ve gotten rid of a burden that you would not believe

“I mean it is a serious problem, and we never did anything about it, and now we’re doing something about it,” he said.

When asked if he agrees with DHS Secretary John Kelly’s stance that criminal aliens who have even one DUI can be deported, the president said, “I’m letting him run it. He’s great. He’s a great general. He was a tremendously successful general, and I’m letting him run it.”

As CNSNews.com previously reported, Kelly told NBC”s “Meet the Press” on Sunday someone “with multiple DUIs, even a single DUI…would get you into the system,” meaning that such a person could be flagged for deportation.

“But you've got to remember that there's a system, a legal justice system in place. And the law deports people. Secretary Kelly doesn't. ICE doesn't. It's the United States, you know, criminal justice system, or justice system that deports people,” Kelly said.

Besides the administration’s crackdown on criminal illegal immigrants inside the country, Kelly said the number of illegal aliens crossing the U.S.-Mexico border is down almost 70 percent.