PUEBLO, Colorado — Colorado’s GOP national committeewoman Vera Ortegon, a Hispanic woman, gave a rousing address to the crowd of thousands here in support of Donald J. Trump for president on Monday afternoon.
“Many of you know me as Vera Ortegon,” she said as she opened up her speech, about an hour before Trump took the stage. “I’m your national committeewoman. But I also want to be known as one of the Deplorables. I am a Deplorable woman. I am a Deplorable Hispanic. I am a Deplorable legal immigrant. And I am Hillary’s worst fear because I am a Deplorable highly educated woman.”
As the crowd went wild, Ortegon asked: “How many of you want to be called a Deplorable?”
The building erupted in applause. Ortegan went on:
That is exactly what I thought. I may not be a former Miss Universe. But I will vote also in November. My first presidential vote was for Ronald Reagan. And in November I will vote for Donald J. Trump. People ask me why I am going to vote for Trump. Let me know tell you why, and I may not have enough fingers on my hands, but number one: If you know any Hispanics, you know we do not sugar coat anything. We speak our mind and we say it like it is. Trump is not well known for sugar coating things—it’s not bone of his attributes—but I tell you, he speaks his mind and he says it like it is. And I tell you, Hillary, that is not the case with her.
The crowd burst into chants of “lock her up! Lock her up! Lock her up!”
“Two, Trump loves America,” Ortegon said. “He will work very hard to Make America Great Again. I don’t know about you, but I am really tired of this last eight years. Leadership, leading from behind, wow, that’s an oxymoron for me. Leaders lead. Leaders make difficult decisions.”
Her third reason for supporting Trump, she said, is that “Trump will protect the vets.”
“Trump will protect our armed forces, and Trump will protect our law enforcement officers,” Ortegon said.