Nearly a year after Donald Trump announced his campaign for President, Univision anchor Jorge Ramos finally decided to conduct an interview with a supporter of the candidate who consistently led the Republican presidential field since the summer of 2015, and who has now emerged as the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.
Ramos’ novel pro-Trump guest on the latest edition of Al Punto – which week after week has consistently featured withering anti-Trump content led by the host himself, his invited Democrat pundits, most of his invited Republican pundits and assorted entertainers and other invited personalities – was none other than Juan Carlos Limón, a member of the Trump campaign’s National Diversity Coalition.
Unlike the way Ramos speaks of former presidential candidates Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, in this instance Ramos did not accuse Limón of being a race traitor, for what Ramos apparently considers the unpardonable sin of being an immigrant or descendant of immigrants, yet opposing a sweeping amnesty for all illegal immigrants.
Since the exchange between Ramos and Limón was so unusual, we’ll break from our usual norm of only highlighting one or two illustrative soundbites, in order to show more of the back and forth between the two, specifically with regard to Ramos’ central, constant attack points against Trump: 1. that he insulted all Mexicans in his presidential campaign announcement speech and 2. that Trump is racist.
JUAN CARLOS LIMÓN, MEMBER, NATIONAL DIVERISTY COALITION FOR TRUMP: …I remained objective, and I did not think he was talking about me. Yes, there are many problems. I do not believe he's talking about all Mexicans.
JORGE RAMOS, HOST, AL PUNTO: Many consider that he is a racist. The definition of racism is the following. It’s ‘rejection, contempt for another person or another group for belonging to another distinct race or ethnic group.’ Do you believe Donald Trump is racist?
JUAN CARLOS LIMÓN, MEMBER, NATIONAL DIVERISTY COALITION FOR TRUMP: No, no. In fact, one of the things I liked a lot when I went to Trump Tower is that his staff is quite diverse. I believe a person of his magnitude, at those levels of business all over the world, cannot afford to be racist...
JORGE RAMOS, HOST, AL PUNTO: What he said against Mexicans wasn’t racism? Against your fellow citizens? Was that not racism?
JUAN CARLOS LIMÓN, MEMBER, NATIONAL DIVERISTY COALITION FOR TRUMP: I felt like he was talking about a certain group of people. That yes, there are very bad people crossing this border...
Ramos also grilled Limón about the real estate mogul’s past controversial statements about various women. Here it should be pointed out that Ramos has yet to examine, in his campaign coverage, the ostensibly equally disturbing and perhaps more consequential dalliances of Bill Clinton, including Hillary Clinton’s involvement in discrediting the accusers.
Ramos’ interview of Limón also stood in marked contrast with a similar segment with Trump supporters nearly two months ago on Telemundo, in which anchor José Díaz-Balart gave his guests ample opportunity to explain their views without displaying a hostile attitude.
The transcript of referenced portions of the May 15 edition of Al Punto on May 15 is below.
UNIVISION
AL PUNTO
5/15/16
10:17:41 AM – 10:26:31 AM EST | 8 MIN 49 SEC
JORGE RAMOS, HOST, AL PUNTO: How many Latinos support Donald Trump? Not many. Polls indicate that nearly 9 in10 Latinos have a negative opinion of Donald Trump. So, who are his supporters? Well, we found a Mexican who supports the candidacy of Trump. He is a businessman and adviser to National Diversity Coalition for Trump. Juan Carlos Limón, thank you for being with us.
JUAN CARLOS LIMÓN, MEMBER, NATIONAL DIVERISTY COALITION FOR TRUMP: Thank you very much, Jorge, for inviting me.
JORGE RAMOS, HOST, AL PUNTO: The latest polls that I have indicate that 87% of Latinos have a negative opinion of Donald Trump. 13% could have a positive or neutral opinion. Why are you supporting Donald Trump?
JUAN CARLOS LIMÓN, MEMBER, NATIONAL DIVERISTY COALITION FOR TRUMP: Well, since last year when Trump announced his campaign and has been speaking, I have had experiences that more or less confirm what he has been saying, I did not go much for the emotional side. I did not think he was talking to me. I don’t think, I know he knows I'm not a criminal or a rapist or bringing drugs, but yes he was pointing to a problem that exists in a certain way that perhaps many Latinos, Hispanics, if I put myself in his shoes, I understand. Maybe I was a little more objective, so to speak.
JORGE RAMOS, HOST, AL PUNTO: Do you know Donald Trump, and Donald Trump asked you to form this coalition to seek the Latino vote?
JUAN CARLOS LIMÓN, MEMBER, NATIONAL DIVERISTY COALITION FOR TRUMP: No, I met him two, three weeks ago, when we were there in Trump Tower in New York...
JORGE RAMOS, HOST, AL PUNTO: What was your impression of him?
JUAN CARLOS LIMÓN, MEMBER, NATIONAL DIVERISTY COALITION FOR TRUMP: Yes, treated us very well. It was quick. He met the whole group, the coalition. He did not ask me. I have no direct affiliation with him. That was an invitation from a person from the organization's board. They asked me if I wanted to be part of the National Diversity Coalition for Mr. Trump and I saw the group of people, very fine people, I liked the objective they have and I said of course, I want to be part of it, sure.
JORGE RAMOS, HOST, TO AL PUNTO: Mr. Limón, you are an entrepreneur, you did not feel offended when Donald Trump insulted Mexicans? Donald Trump said this and I'll quote him, he said, "When Mexico sends its people, they are not sending their best, they are sending people with many problems. They are bringing drugs, they are bringing crime, they are rapists." This didn’t offend you? You were born in Mexico City.
JUAN CARLOS LIMÓN, MEMBER, NATIONAL DIVERISTY COALITION FOR TRUMP: Yes, I am Mexican. I say to everyone I am 100% Mexican, proud, I have a big accent every time I speak English. I cannot hide it, and I do not want to hide it. I am extremely proud of that. But no, he did not offend me. I think he has a pretty straightforward, abrupt way that many people do not like, but I remained objective, and I did not think he was talking about me. Yes, there are many problems. I do not believe he's talking about all Mexicans.
JORGE RAMOS, HOST, AL PUNTO: Many consider that he is a racist. The definition of racism is the following. It’s ‘rejection, contempt for another person or another group for belonging to another distinct race or ethnic group.’ Do you believe Donald Trump is racist?
JUAN CARLOS LIMÓN, MEMBER, NATIONAL DIVERISTY COALITION FOR TRUMP: No, no. In fact, one of the things I liked a lot when I went to Trump Tower is that his staff is quite diverse. I believe a person of his magnitude, at those levels of business all over the world, cannot afford to be racist...
JORGE RAMOS, HOST, AL PUNTO: What he said against Mexicans wasn’t racism? Against your fellow citizens? Was that not racism?
JUAN CARLOS LIMÓN, MEMBER, NATIONAL DIVERISTY COALITION FOR TRUMP: I felt like he was talking about a certain group of people. That yes, there are very bad people crossing this border. In the past I have had the opportunity to be work directly and see with my own eyes what is happening. I assumed he was talking about that, but I didn’t feel he was talking about me, or that he feels superior to us.
JORGE RAMOS, HOST, AL PUNTO: He has a plan to deport 11 million undocumented immigrants, most of them Mexicans like you. This would involve deporting in two years around 15,000 people every day. Are you in favor of this?
JUAN CARLOS LIMÓN, MEMBER, NATIONAL DIVERISTY COALITION FOR TRUMP: No, not necessarily. I really do not know how he intends to do that, Jorge. Yes, it has been said that it has to stop and there has to be a filtering process so to speak. He's very abrupt in his way of talking. Perhaps it doesn't help, right? I do not know how he will do it…
JORGE RAMOS, HOST, AL PUNTO: But you agree with this plan, you support this plan of his, to deport 15,000 people a day for two years?
JUAN CARLOS LIMÓN, MEMBER, NATIONAL DIVERISTY COALITION FOR TRUMP: I believe something has to happen, something really big has to happen. They have to stop this. I have many friends, dear friends, who add great value to this country who are in that very difficult situation. How I see it, how I raise my family, my kids, Jorge, is that there has to be a sense of self-responsibility.
JORGE RAMOS, HOST, AL PUNTO: Yes, but I do not understand Mr. Limón. Are you supporting Donald Trump on this or not? It is not clear to me.
JUAN CARLOS LIMÓN, MEMBER, NATIONAL DIVERISTY COALITION FOR TRUMP: Yes, I greatly support his ideas. He would have different ways of doing things. I would have no idea how to do that, but I do support him, I am on his side. I share much of what he has said.
…
JORGE RAMOS, HOST, AL PUNTO: This person [referring to Donald Trump] that you have called "very intelligent" has called women "dogs", "fat pigs" and "animals". Do you agree with him on this?
JUAN CARLOS LIMÓN, MEMBER, NATIONAL DIVERSITY COALITION FOR TRUMP: To women, like that, in general? I have heard he has said a few, in the entertainment world...
JORGE RAMOS, HOST, AL PUNTO: No, no, no. Not a few times, many times. He has called them "dogs", "animals" and "fat pigs" or "fat hogs", among many other offenses. Would you be in agreement with this?
JUAN CARLOS LIMÓN, MEMBER, NATIONAL DIVERSITY COALITION FOR TRUMP: No, obviously no, right? Ah, a lot of things are missing. missing. The context, if they attacked him or not.
JORGE RAMOS, HOST, AL PUNTO: So why do you support him? Well then, if you are not in agreement with this, why do you support him?
JUAN CARLOS LIMÓN, MEMBER, NATIONAL DIVERSITY COALITION FOR TRUMP: He really… I think he has the intelligence, the intellect, to change certain things perhaps. In how he conducts references like that, and then, well ... another thing that tells me is that he is not a politician. So he says exactly what he thinks. It's one of the things I like about him.
JORGE RAMOS, HOST, AL PUNTO: But if that is exactly what he thinks, does it not seem offensive to you that he calls women those names?
JUAN CARLOS LIMÓN, MEMBER, NATIONAL DIVERSITY COALITION FOR TRUMP: Of course, it is quite offensive. I do not like anyone to be called that. But we also need to see the context, I don't know if...
JORGE RAMOS, HOST, AL PUNTO: No, the context is very clear. Those are offenses, those are offenses, those are obscenities that he has said about individual women.
JUAN CARLOS LIMÓN, MEMBER, NATIONAL DIVERSITY COALITION FOR TRUMP: Difficult, yes. It's very, very difficult. It's something I think he can change easily, no?
JORGE RAMOS, HOST, AL PUNTO: I don't know...
