Reuters
July 12, 2015
Key
Republicans distanced themselves on Sunday from presidential candidate
Donald Trump's denunciation of illegal immigrants from Mexico as rapists
and criminals, saying
he has become "a wrecking ball" for the party's ability to win Hispanic
voters.
Announcing
his candidacy last month, Trump accused Mexico of sending rapists and
other criminals into the United States. He later added that illegal
border-crossers from
Mexico were carrying "tremendous infectious disease".
Numerous companies have cut ties with the billionaire real estate developer over his comments.
"At
the end of the day, for us to win a national election, we have to do
better with Hispanics," presidential candidate and South Carolina
Senator Lindsey Graham told
CNN's "State of the Union" program.
"And
for us to have the moral authority as a party to govern a great nation,
we have to reject this demagoguery. If we don't, we will lose, and we
will deserve to lose."
With
the Hispanic population rising, Hispanic voters are becoming
increasingly important in U.S. politics. Their support helped Democratic
President Barack Obama win re-election
in 2012. Most illegal immigrants in the United States are Hispanic.
Graham
said Trump had "hijacked the debate" over immigration policy, adding:
"I think he's a wrecking ball for the future of the Republican Party
with the Hispanic community."
Graham
has long advocated a comprehensive change in U.S. immigration laws,
including providing a pathway to citizenship for some of the more than
11 million illegal immigrants.
Trump
jumped into a virtual dead heat with former Florida Governor Jeb Bush
atop the field seeking the 2016 Republican presidential nomination in a
Reuters-Ipsos poll
released on Saturday.
During
a campaign speech in Phoenix on Saturday, Trump wooed America's "silent
majority" and ripped critics of his immigration comments.
South
Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, a daughter of two immigrants and
considered a potential 2016 Republican vice presidential candidate, said
on NBC's "Meet the Press"
she understands Trump's frustration on immigration but called for
communicating with "respect and dignity."
"We
want someone that brings people together," Haley added. "We want
someone that understands that what unites us is a lot more than what
divides us."
House
of Representatives Speaker John Boehner said on CBS's "Face the
Nation," other Republican presidential candidates "have much more
responsible positions" than Trump's.
"Most of the candidates have disagreed with his assertions with regard to our border. And, certainly, I disagree," he said.
Former Hewlett-Packard CEO and presidential candidate Carly Fiorina seemed to embrace Trump's views.
"Donald
Trump taps into an anger that I hear every day," she told ABC's "This
Week", adding that wanting to secure the nation's borders was "not
extreme, it's commonsense".
For more information, go to: www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com
No comments:
Post a Comment