Speech #1140042571

I was on the HBO show "Real Time" with Bill Maher on a Friday night. and I had a chance to talk with Ann Coulter who. as you might have guessed. I dont have on my speed dial for regular conversations. It was a couple of days after Donald Trump announced he was running for the Republican nomination because he thought Mexican immigrants were criminals. drug dealers. and rapists. When it was my turn. I told Ms. Coulterand. by extension. Mr. Trumpthat what they were saying about Mexican immigrants would serve as a voter registration machine to turbocharge voter registration in the Latino and immigrant community. all because of their particularly mean andfrankly. lets be honestracist attacks on Mexican immigrants. It was particularly important that I was in California for the show because I was watching the Republican Party make exactly the same mistake they made in the 1990s when it lost control of the politics in California. By supporting extreme antiimmigrant policies to kick kids out of school and cut off families from being part of our society. California went from a purple State that had given the Republican Party important leaders like Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan and. in just a few years. was transformed into a deep shade of Pacific blue. Why? It is because millions of immigrants became citizens. millions of immigrant citizens registered to vote. and millions of registered voters voted to punish the Republican Party for being mean. shortsighted. and for offering demagoguery. not real solutions to issues. This brings me back to Mr. Trump. who is trying to be the standard bearer of the antiimmigrant wing of the Republican Party and trying to define the party as one that will fight against immigrants it sees as murderers. drug dealers. criminals. and rapists. Jan Brewer has endorsed Trump. and there he was. this past weekend. standing with Joe Arpaio in Arizona. Democrats could not paint a clearer picture if we tried. You should understand that. when Donald Trump said Mexican immigrants are criminals. what do I and other Puerto Ricans hear? I hear him saying all Puerto Ricans are criminals. and. as far as the Republicans are concerned. we all are. Millions of others hereHondurans.