From the August 22 edition of CNN's CNN Newsroom with Carol Costello:
CNN Contributor Ana Navarro Skeptical Of Trump's Alleged Immigration Reversal: “Too Late”
Navarro: Trump “Hasn't Given One Interview To Univision Or Telemundo”
Written by Media Matters Staff
Published
CAROL COSTELLO (HOST): Jesus, you were in that meeting with Mr. Trump on Saturday. So is Mr. Trump going to deport undocumented immigrants, or not?
JESUS MARQUEZ: Well, we talked about different issues, and obviously immigration was one of those issues that we talked about. It was a private meeting, but I can tell you that Mr. Trump is now open for suggestions from Latinos. That's why he opened his doors to -- invited us.
COSTELLO: So just along those lines and I just want to expand on that, Jesus. So does he want ideas from this Hispanic council on how to treat these undocumented immigrants and might that mean that he is no longer thinking about this deportation team deporting all of them?
MARQUEZ: Well, absolutely. He wants ideas, and obviously that's why he invited us. One thing they did, you know, notice and it made me very comfortable, is that he's observing the, you know, the situation. He is taking notes about what we have to say. And I'm sure the campaign will consider our advice and they will definitely work on policy, you know. We can't speak for the campaign. We're not part of the campaign, but definitely we talked about different issues that concern our communities, the Latino communities.
COSTELLO: So Ana, you and a lot of other Hispanics and Latinos are opposed to Mr. Trump. A recent Fox poll shows, this was a poll taken just about three days ago, or released three days ago. It shows Trump trailing Clinton with Hispanics by 46 points. So does what Jesus is saying make you more open to Mr. Trump?
ANA NAVARRO: No, listen. As far as I'm concerned, he burned those bridges a long, long time ago. You don't get to start over two and a half months before an election. You just don't get to erase the things that you have said for over a year. He has called Mexicans rapists, has said that they bring crime. He hasn't given one interview to Univision or Telemundo. In fact, he kicked Jorge Ramos and José Díaz-Balart, anchors with both those networks, out of events. He has focused, laser-focused, really based his campaign on attacking Hispanics, attacking immigrants like piñatas. I don't hear him ever talk about the positive stories about immigration. He has people like Joe Arpaio standing in front of a wall during the Republican convention and goes on to give one of the longest speeches, nomination acceptance speeches in history where he focuses on all the bad things that some immigrants that have come here have done, not any of the positive stuff. Now, I will tell you, though, Carol, I think it's very important to understand that Latinos are not one homogeneous group, and immigration is not the issue that defines Latinos and Latino support. And you know, I think, look, if, well, Mr. Marquez is doing what that group did, that they're trying to meet with him and maybe expand his horizons so that he's not so ignorant about Hispanics, great for them. I respect their choice. Now, I will tell you, I will stand with the other 85 percent of Latinos for whom Trump is just not an acceptable option, you don't get to beat us like piñatas for a year and then come back at the last minute and try to make nice. Too late.
Previously:
Prominent Hispanic Anchor Asks For Help Getting Trump Interview
Trump Continues To Snub Hispanic Community And Journalists, While Insisting Hispanics “Love Him”
After Jorge Ramos Makes Multiple Interview Requests, Trump Asks Him For Money