While Trump likely won't win California when he runs in 2024, his newly announced run for the White House has Californians worried about the damage he can do, according to the San Francisco Chronicle's Joe Garofoli.
"Trump’s litany of racist, sexist and homophobic remarks has Californians worried about what his return to center stage will mean for the communities he’s maligned," Garofoli writes, adding that when Trump uses racist comments, it gives some people the green light to do the same.
Pablo Rodriguez, a longtime organizer in California's San Joaquin Valley, told Garofoli that he not worried about the political threat of Trump -- he worried about the cultural threat Trump poses.
“California and California Latinos specifically, have rejected Donald Trump twice in the past and voters will reject them again. That is not my worry,” Rodriguez said. “My worry is that he brings — besides the politics of fear and division — he brings violence.”
Christian Arana, vice president of policy at the Latino Community Foundation, told Garofoli “what is concerning about a potential Trump presidential run is a re-emergence of past traumas that Latino communities experienced throughout his presidency. Latinos in California are still healing from a global pandemic, let alone from four years of toxic rhetoric and policies that demonized our communities."
“Latinos in California have shown through their votes that they do not sit idly by when they are disrespected by any elected official who espouses anti-immigrant rhetoric,” Arana said. “Donald Trump, and anyone running with his platform, would be prudent to know and respect that history.”
Saa’un Bell, senior associate director of Power California, which organizes young people of color across California, told Garofoli that Trump is “the villain and he inspired a lot of young people to come out because of things that he talked about, all the racist, homophobic things.“
"His announcement will not only sort of galvanize and inspire his base of supporters, but supporters of all parties will take notice,” Bell said.
Read the full article over at the San Francisco Chronicle.
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