As the nation's largest Latino advocacy group, the National Council of La Raza, wraps up its annual conference
without a single GOP 2016 attendee, the organization's president, Janet Murguía, will put Republicans on notice. Donald Trump is killing their party's appeal, she will warn in a Tuesday afternoon speech to close the conference. Murguía will also call Trump's comments about Mexican immigrants "by definition, racism,"
according to Gabriel Debenedetti:
“To the leadership of the Republican Party and its candidates for president, I have this to say: What’s your excuse?” she will ask. “The clock is ticking. Trump keeps doubling down.”
The stark warning sent by the former Clinton administration official whose group has previously hosted Republican presidents — including George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush — came as Trump climbs in national and early-state polls. His shadow looms over the annual convention of the generally left-leaning grass-roots group that supports immigration reform.
The Republicans have no one to blame but themselves for severing their relationship with Latinos. None of them, except maybe George Pataki—who doesn't have even a glimmer of electoral hope—have really denounced Trump. And none of them are even asking for the Latino vote. That's why you attend the conference of a major advocacy group like NCLR as Democrats Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders and Martin O’Malley all did—you're making a formal entreaty for their votes.
Murguía said she has not heard from any Republican leader since Trump entered the race with a strict anti-illegal immigration message, and other candidates — including Jeb Bush — declined invitations to Kansas City. (Trump was not invited.)
They couldn't even pick up the phone. Pathetic.