Sometimes it's not what you said, it's how you said it... I would have said - profits being generated that won't be reinvested or spent in this country (or sometimes even taxed here!). Subtle, but important distinction.
I think the problem is that the some politicians and their allies in the media (prefix with liberal as preferred) think that they can use the racist, xenophobic, misogynist labels as an alternative to debate. It worked for them at a certain level, demonising and belittling candidates and parties whose opinions they didn't like. But then a critical mass is reached and you get Trump, UKIP, Brexit, Le Pen, Germany's AfD ... and the genie is out of the bottle. And large swathes of the electorate respond by writing off the media. And the conventional politicians have forgotten how to make arguments that actually appeal to ordinary voters - and either cannot comprehend, or aren't allowed to by the media, understand that someone can be concerned about immigration without being a racist.