It’s always a pleasure to spend a little time in the Grand Canyon State. It’s even better when I get to spend it in the company of people as talented and dedicated as those working with Latinos for Trump.
Democrats are convinced they can win here next year with a doddering mediocrity like Joe Biden or a radical leftist such as Elizabeth Warren or Bernie Sanders. All these imaginary paths to victory in Arizona depend on a big Hispanic turnout for the Democrats, and that’s just not going to happen.
What is it about Joe Biden or Elizabeth Warren that Democrats think will appeal to the many Hispanic Arizonans who refused to vote for Hillary Clinton in 2016? More importantly, why do they think any of the impossible promises and insane policies on display from the Democratic debate stage will be more appealing than my father-in-law’s record of delivering broad-based prosperity?
The Trump economic boom has improved the lives of tens of millions of American families, but Hispanic Americans have done particularly well. Despite making up only about 18 percent of the U.S. population, Hispanics have filled more than 40 percent of the new jobs created over the past three years. Since President Trump took office, about 2.8 million of the 6.4 million new jobs created nationwide have gone to Hispanic workers.
That incredible job market brought Hispanic unemployment to a record low of 3.9 percent in September. It’s also helped to raise Hispanic median family income to an all-time high and slash the Hispanic poverty rate to an all-time low.
In the face of such historic achievements, Democrats can only resort to fear-mongering and stoking racial resentments, portraying border security and immigration enforcement as hostile to Hispanic interests. That entire strategy, however, is based on a false premise. Hispanic voters are American citizens, not illegal immigrants. Hispanics make up a majority of U.S. Border Patrol agents — a group that overwhelmingly supports the border wall — and benefit as much from safe communities and a well-regulated immigration system as any other American.
In Arizona, Hispanic-American voters are not going to be won over by empty pandering and cynical exploitation of tragedies. Residents of border states are not going to fall for Democrat talking points blaming our law enforcement officers for the inherent dangers of illegally crossing the American border. Arizonans know that brutal drug cartels and human traffickers must be stopped, and that the open-borders policies advocated by many Democratic candidates would increase suffering, not alleviate it.
I’m honored to be working with Latinos for Trump to spread a message of hope that can counter the Democrats’ rhetoric of fear. We’re going to celebrate the brilliant constitutional originalist judges President Trump has appointed to the federal bench, such as Rodolfo Ruiz and David Morales. We’re also going to explain how trade realism, low taxes, and deregulation are propelling Hispanic Americans all over the country into the middle class. Most of all, though, I relish the opportunity to counter the smears and lies Democrats are spreading in an attempt to scare Hispanic Arizonans into voting for them.
It’s going to be a long ride to victory next year, but here in Arizona, Latinos for Trump is going to come through again.
Lara Trump is a Senior Advisor to Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. and President Trump’s daughter-in-law.