Donald Trump may be winning hearts and minds among fringe members of the “Republican” (TEApublican?) base, but he is not making many new friends along the Texas-Mexico border. The candidate’s recent comments have received swift backlash from business leaders across the country, and now we can add the voices of the El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to that growing list. Here’s more from Lindsey Anderson of the El Paso Times…
The El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the nation’s only Hispanic woman governor, New Mexico’s Susana Martinez, have joined in criticizing Republican presidential candidate and billionaire Donald Trump’s disparaging comments about Mexican immigrants.
The El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce released a statement saying its members were “disappointed” by Trump’s “harsh and insensitive rhetoric.”
Document ›› El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce responds to Donald Trump’s immigration statements
“We recognize the adverse effects that racially charged and discriminatory words can have,” the chamber wrote in a two-and-a-half page statement. “His speech was not only exclusionary, but also inappropriate for a presidential candidate.”
When announcing his presidential campaign two weeks ago, Trump said Mexicans immigrating to the United States are “bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists.”
“And some I assume are good people,” he added.
His comments led Univision and NBC to pull out of televising the Miss USA pageant that Trump co-owns, and many businesses including Macy’s have cut ties with the billionaire.
Here’s video of what Trump said…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2b1viZpvss
In recent polls of Republican primary voters, Trump is currently near the top of the field among sixteen others vying for the party’s nomination. And for that reason alone, it is critical that other prominent leaders lambaste his clearly racist comments. The fact that a significant portion of the Republican party is seriously considering Trump as a legitimate presidential candidate should cause alarm for everyone invested in our political system. Kudos to the El Paso Hispanic Chamber and Governor Martinez for making it clear to everyone where they stand. Let’s hope that other prominent leaders (especially those running against Trump) follow suit.