Washington Post
By Carlos Lozada
August 3, 2015
“When
Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re not
sending you. They’re not sending you. They’re sending people that have
lots of problems, and
they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs.
They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good
people.”
— Donald Trump, June 16
These
were among the most controversial lines from Donald Trump’s
presidential campaign announcement. The real-estate developer did not
back down from the remarks, despite
a backlash from Latino leaders and from corporate partners such as
Univision, Macy’s and NBC, which severed various business relationships
with Trump. “What can be simpler or more accurately stated?” Trump said
in a July 6 statement defending his remarks.
“The Mexican government is forcing their most unwanted people into the
United States. They are, in many cases, criminals, drug dealers,
rapists, etc.”
Trump’s
confidence may have been bolstered by a new book from bestselling
conservative firebrand Ann Coulter. In “Adios, America: The Left’s Plan
to Turn Our Country Into
a Third World Hellhole,” Coulter devotes three chapters — and three
“Spot the Immigrant!” case studies — to recounting cases of rape and
sexual assault involving undocumented immigrants, many of them from
Mexico and throughout Central America. “America is
just bringing in a lot of rapists,” she warns.
The
book, which has earned a spot on both the New York Times and Washington
Post nonfiction bestseller lists, was published June 1, 15 days ahead
of Trump’s announcement.
Via e-mail, Coulter told me that Trump had “asked for, and received, an
advance copy of my book, and he told me. . . that he’s read the book
cover to cover.” She emphasized that Trump has “been talking about
immigration for years. . . he didn’t get his ideas
from me. He had them. My book supports his ideas.”
In
his 2011 book, “Time to Get Tough,” Trump expressed concerns over
crimes committed by immigrants who had entered the United States
illegally. “I actually have a theory
that Mexico is sending their absolute worst, possibly including
prisoners, in order for us to bear the cost, both financial and social,”
he wrote.” This would account for the fact that there is so much
violence and crime.” He did not mention rape then, instead
citing fatal drunk-driving incidents and other offenses, as well as
activities by Central American gangs in the United States. “Obviously
not all illegal immigrants are members of violent gangs,” Trump added.
“Many aliens are just seeking a better life for
their families.”
Members
of the Trump team did not respond to repeated e-mails asking if the
candidate had read Coulter’s book and whether it had helped shaped his
views on immigration.
In a July 23 e-mail to Coulter, Trump senior political adviser Corey
Lewandowski assured her that “Mr. Trump loves you. You know that.” (I
was cc’d on the message.)
Coulter
has been outspoken in her support of Trump, calling his views on
immigration “fantastic.” And in an interview with New York magazine, she
noted that “nobody talked
about Hispanic child-rape until now. That was in his opening speech!”
On
July 8, The Washington Post’s Fact Checker column assessed Trump’s
statement connecting immigration and crime as false, awarding it the
harshest rating of four Pinocchios
— reserved for “whoppers.”
For more information, go to: www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com
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