Univision recently paid a lot of attention to the efforts of Latinos for Trump, a nationwide group that aims to recruit 2 million volunteers to help register conservative Hispanics before the 2020 presidential election. The network dedicated over nine minutes of sound bites between three of their news programs – Despierta America, Noticiero Univision and Fusion´s UNews – and their web page, to this story.
However, far from being a tip of the hat to the get-out-to-vote efforts of pro-Trump activists, the liberal network pounced on the opportunity to push their “anti-immigrant” label for President Trump and his administration, as we can appreciate in this clip taken from the UNews report (and replicated in their other Spanish-language newscasts):
CAROLINA SARASSA: Despite the Trump administration rhetoric and policies against immigrants, millions of Latinos are Trump supporters.
[…]
JANET RODRIGUEZ: At a national level, trainings like this one in Virginia prepare Latino volunteers to spread their messaging. The economy is their focus, while impeachment
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Not for criminal aliens.
RODRÍGUEZ: … and Trump´s attacks on the Hispanic immigrant community are not discussed as much.
[…]
RODRÍGUEZ: According to a recent Univision poll, four out of five Hispanic voters disapprove of the president´s job.
UNews anchor Carolina Sarassa framed the report by introducing it with “Despite the Trump administration rhetoric and policies against immigrants...”. Univision D.C. correspondent Janet Rodríguez then took over, detailing her experiences as she followed a group of Latino for Trump volunteers in a Phoenix neighborhood, and interviewed volunteers who endorsed and spoke well of the president.
However, one could not help but notice Rodriguez ́ sarcasm when offering her take on the 33,000+ strong group with comments like, “The economy is their focus, while impeachment and Trump's attacks on the Hispanic immigrant community are not discussed as much.”
Rodriguez’ sense of balance in this report was to interview Never Trumper immigration attorney Yasser Sánchez, “a lifelong Republican but he recently left the party. He says he could no longer support Trump´s rhetoric. Seeing his racist attacks against the Hispanic community.”
To make it seem that Latinos for Trump are desperately seeking voters, Rodríguez closed the report stating that “The campaign understands the capturing the Hispanic voter will be a hard road ahead, but they are investing millions of dollars in getting every possible voter,” before adding the deadly lunge: “according to a recent Univision poll, four out of five Hispanic voters disapprove of the president´s job.”
The Univision June 2019 poll the reporter mentions, states that 75% of Hispanics believe Donald Trump’s government is not doing a good job. Not a word, however, about two more recent non-Univision polls, one from September, show his Hispanic approval at 37%, and in November, 38%- both a significant improvement over his 29% number from 2016.
Press on “Expand” to view the complete transcript of the UNews, December 17, 2019 report mentioned above.
UNews
12/17/2019
CAROLINA SARASSA, ANCHOR, UNEWS: Despite the Trump administration rhetoric and policies against immigrants, millions of Latinos are Trump supporters. In fact, 2016 exit polls show that the president received 28% of the Latino vote. The organization Latinos for Trump is hoping to increase that percentage in 2020. Janet Rodríguez has more details.
JANET RODRIGUEZ, CORRESPONDENT, UNIVISION: It is Saturday morning in Phoenix, Arizona, and this group of Latinos for Trump are out knocking on doors.
MONICA YALLIN, INMIGRANT: He has been a great president
RODRIGUEZ: He has been a great president says Colombian Monica Yallin, who is committed to dedicating her time and energy to reelecting president Trump.
YALLIN: When I talk to the neighbors
RODRÍGUEZ: When she talks to neighbors, she talks about conservative and religious values. She is part of a growing group of volunteers who are focusing their get out to vote efforts in states like Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Colorado, and Florida, although they claim to have national presence. The goal is to recruit 2 million volunteers before the 2020 presidential elections. At a national level, trainings like this one in Virginia prepare Latino volunteers to spread their messaging. The economy is their focus, while impeachment
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Not for criminal aliens.
RODRÍGUEZ: … and Trump´s attacks on the Hispanic immigrant community are not discussed as much.
VOLUNTEER: They always say that
RODRÍGUEZ: They always say that he is a racist or that he is saying bad things, but that is just not true, says this volunteer.
YASSER SÁNCHEZ: I spent 23 years as a Republican.
RODRIGUEZ: Yasser Sánchez was a lifelong Republican but he recently left the party. He says he could no longer support Trump´s rhetoric.
SANCHEZ: Seeing his racist attacks
RODRÍGUEZ: Seeing his racist attacks against the Hispanic community, I said, I can't defend him anymore. I can't be with a party that looks the other way just to win an election. As well as 32 million Hispanic voters, he will be eligible to vote in 2020 and according to a recent Univision poll, four out of five Hispanic voters disapprove of the president´s job. The campaign understands the capturing the Hispanic voter will be a hard road ahead, but they are investing millions of dollars in getting every possible voter. In Phoenix, Arizona, Janet Rodríguez, UNews.
