RNC Taps Political Commentator Helen Aguirre Ferré As Director Of Hispanic Outreach

Wash. Post: RNC Announces Helen Aguirre Ferré To Become Director Of Hispanic Outreach After Shakeup. After Ruth Guerra announced her resignation as Director of Hispanic Outreach for the Republican National Committee (RNC), citing discomfort with presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s candidacy, the RNC announced “former aide and close friend of [Jeb] Bush” Helen Aguirre Ferré -- who “spent much of the last year raising doubts about Donald Trump” -- would be taking over the position. From The Washington Post:

The head of Hispanic media relations for the Republican National Committee is leaving party headquarters to join a conservative group supporting GOP congressional candidates. She'll be replaced by a former top aide to Jeb Bush who spent much of the last year raising doubts about Donald Trump.

[...]

That's why Ruth Guerra, who had served as Hispanic media director for the last several years, is departing to join the American Action Network, a conservative group helping elect GOP congressional candidates, according to multiple Republicans familiar with the plans.

The RNC announced Wednesday night that Guerra will be replaced by Helen Aguirre Ferre, a GOP operative and former Spanish-language conservative radio talk show host with deep roots in the Miami area. (Her father-in-law is Maurice Ferre, the first Hispanic mayor of Miami.)

[...]

Aguirre Ferre is a former aide and close friend of Bush and his family. She prepped the former Florida governor for major speeches and presidential debates and served as his top Spanish-language surrogate. The former host of a radio program for Univision's national network of talk stations, she also was a top Hispanic affairs adviser to Mitt Romney's 2012 presidential campaign.

In a statement issued by the RNC, Aguirre Ferre said she's “eager to make the case to the Hispanic community why Republican ideas and values are the way forward for our country after eight years of an Obama agenda which has failed all Americans.” [The Washington Post, 6/1/15]

Helen Aguirre Has Been Strongly Critical Of Trump In Hispanic Media Appearances

On Univision’s Noticiero Univisión Edición Nocturna: Trump’s Tone “Hurts Terribly The Sensibilities Of The Hispanic Community.” On the late night edition of Noticiero Univisión Aguirre stated that GOP candidates should not react to everything Trump said. Aguirre also bemoaned Trump’s “tone” which she said “hurts terribly the sensibilities” of Hispanics and women. From the August 18 edition of Univision’s Noticiero Univisión Edición Nocturna:

Translated from Noticiero Univisión Edición Nocturna:

HELEN AGUIRRE: Unfortunately, some believe that they need to come out and react to the words of Donald Trump. But the most important thing is that every candidate needs to be the owner of their campaign and their own message.

JUAN CARLOS AGUIAR (REPORTER) But more than that, that a respectful campaign is put forward.

AGUIRRE: What’s more than deplorable is the tone that some use, that hurts terribly the sensibilities of the Hispanic community, particularly Mexicans. Those that hurt women. [Univision, Noticiero Univisión Edición Nocturna, 8/18/15]

On Telemundo 51’s Enfoque Político: “Donald Trump Hurts The Country” And Is Conflictive “Like A Street Dog.” While appearing on a local Florida Telemundo station, Aguirre told host Marilys Llanos that Trump was “not an angel” of my devotion” and predicted he would have a “categorical problem” in any election because he had been “so vulgar” towards Latinos and women. She also said Trump was quarrelsome “like a street dog.” From the October 18 edition of Telemundo 51’s Enfoque Político:

Translated from Enfoque Político:

MARILYS LLANOS (HOST): Is Donald Trump the man to debate these things with Hillary?

HELEN AGUIRRE: Look, Donald Trump is not an angel of my devotion, but from what I’m told, he certainly is a skillful man. See, Donald Trump is going to have a categorical problem in any election, and it is that he’s been so vulgar with Hispanic and female voters that he has an impediment to his ability to grow. That’s not to say he isn’t number one in some polls today, like those in states with particular idiosyncrasies such as caucuses, like in the case of Iowa, but I cannot fathom the Democratic Party [sic] taking to the Republican Convention a candidate like Donald Trump, who I believe, would have a hard time winning a general election, despite his avoiding terms like right or left and talking about winners and losers, obviously people like winning.

[...]

AGUIRRE : Look, Donald Trump is a person that you either love or you can’t stand. I think that Donald Trump -- and I agree with Millie on this -- Donald Trump hurts the country. Donald Trump is a person that was a Democrat up until 2009 and is a person that is beyond combative . He’s quarrelsome kind of like a street dog, it’s a very curious thing, and that appeals to some. [Telemundo 51, Enfoque Político, 10/15/15]

On Univision’s Al Punto: “There’s A Pattern In Donald Trump That’s Anti-Female.” While appearing as a guest on Univision’s Sunday news program Al Punto, Aguirre slammed Trump’s suggestion that women should be punished for having abortions, saying there is “a pattern in Donald Trump that’s anti-female” and that the candidate is “uncomfortable with a strong, independent woman.” Aguirre also suggested that Trump hasn’t demonstrated that he shares the values of the Republican Party. From the April 3 edition of Univision’s Al Punto:

Translated from Al Punto:

ENRIQUE ACEVEDO (HOST): The candidate for the presidency Donald Trump is in the middle of a new controversy. This week he proposed a kind of punishment for women who decide to have abortions. The Republican had to do something he hasn’t done throughout his campaign and had to retract himself, but these statements united against him groups that are for and against abortions.

[...]

ACEVEDO: I was looking at the polls this week. 73 percent of women have an unfavorable opinion of Donald Trump. Not surprising after these comments, Helen.

HELEN AGUIRRE : Well, I think that consolidates, actually, that opposition to Donald Trump because Donald Trump not only has said this, which troubles or upsets female voters, he’s also against female journalists like Megyn Kelly of Fox News, what he’s said about Mexicans and about Hispanic women, particularly. But I think we can see there's a pattern in Donald Trump that's anti-female, that he’s a person that really, I'm not going to tell you it's misogyny, in itself, but I do think there's something, that he's uncomfortable with a strong, independent woman. In the case of abortion, Donald Trump has had all of the possible points of view towards abortion. He even has supported partial birth abortions, which many who are in favor of the right to abortion oppose. But in this particular case, I think Donald Trump is trying so hard to win the nomination with conservative voters that he's trying to say what he thinks conservative voters want to hear and that's why he ends up with his foot in his mouth constantly. In this case, of presenting a woman who seeks an abortion as someone you have to punish when like you mentioned, neither pro-life or pro-abortion people have ever had that as an objective.

[...]

ACEVEDO : Is there a problem in the Republican Party with women? Do you see it this way?

AGUIRRE : No, not with the Party, but with some candidates of the Party, yes. In this case, precisely -- for me, Donald Trump does not represent the Republican Party, Donald Trump wasn't Republican until very recently, he's been a Democrat all his life and very friendly with Democrats and that's fine if he is. But that's the problem and the crossroads where the GOP finds itself right now, where the person who is leading the number of delegates for the convention is someone who joined the Republican Party recently and really hasn’t shared or demonstrated having the traditional values of having a smaller government or being pro-life, etc. But aside from that, the difference between him and Mitt Romney on the subject of votes, Mitt Romney was able to get the majority of the female vote of married women with children. But in general, the problem for the Republican Party if Donald Trump is at the top of the ticket is that, that person is the person who represents the branding of the whole party. [Univision, Al Punto, 4/3/16]

On Univision’s Al Punto: “There’s Going To Be A Segment” Of The Republican Party That “Won’t Be Able” To Unite Behind Trump. After being asked to comment on House Speaker Paul Ryan’s (R-WI) non-endorsement of Trump after he became the presumptive presidential nominee of the Republican Party, Aguirre said that “a segment” of the Republican Party would not be able to to unite behind him because “they don’t consider Donald Trump a true conservative” and because “he’s been more of an ally to Democrats.” From the May 8 edition of Univision’s Al Punto:

Translated from Al Punto:

JORGE RAMOS (HOST) : Will the party be able to unite, Helen?

HELEN AGUIRRE : Look, I think there's going to be a segment, Jorge, that won't be able to do it [unite behind Trump] because they don’t consider Donald Trump a true conservative. He didn't register as a Republican until 2012, he's been more of an ally to Democrats than to [the Republican Party]. But in the case of the Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan, he has a very particular function, and that is to guarantee that Republicans win and maintain a majority in the House. And that's his main function. Besides, anyone that knows Paul Ryan knows he doesn't have a lot in common with Donald Trump, ideologically or in terms of moral character. [Univision, Al Punto, 5/8/16]