Senator John McCain (R-AZ) argued that Donald Trump’s rhetoric is “offensive” to Hispanics and the “overwhelming majority” of Arizonans would disagree with Trump on Thursday’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports” on MSNBC.
McCain, when asked if Trump was “good for the Republican Party,” answered, “It’s not so much the Republican Party as the country. I believe that we have to have a secure border. The legislation we passed called for 90% control of the border, 100% situational awareness. If we devoted the assets to it, we could have a secure border and that is a[n] abysmal failure. But look, I think that Mr. Trump, when he comes to Arizona will find that we Arizonians cherish our Hispanic heritage and influence. We cherish the music, the culture, the food. We cherish it in our state, and we think it’s added to the beauty and the enormous attractiveness of our state of Arizona, and we are proud of our Hispanic heritage, of our missions from Spain that came up to Tucson back hundreds of years ago. And so I think Mr. Trump maybe should realize that we in Arizona, we want a secure border and we have to have a secure border but we cherish and love our Hispanic citizenry, and we are close to them, and we are greatly appreciative of everything they’ve done for our state, our culture, our economy, and everything else about our state. We are far richer for having had them in our state.”
McCain added of Trump’s rhetoric, “it is offensive to not only Hispanic citizenry, but other citizenry, but he’s entitled to say what he wants to say. But I guarantee you, the overwhelming majority, and I’ve had the honor of representing the people of Arizona for many years, I guarantee you the overwhelming majority would not agree with his attitude towards — that he has displayed towards our Hispanic citizens. we love them.”
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