The Democratic National Committee attacked the Republican presidential field for what it called divisive rhetoric about Hispanics Tuesday.
“It is troubling when a Republican candidate like Donald Trump enters the presidential race spewing hateful rhetoric about Mexican immigrants and jumps to the top of the polls,” Debbie Wasserman Shultz said in a statement on Hispanic Heritage Month the day prior to the Republican debate. “It is frustrating to see other Republican candidates follow his lead by endorsing some of the same divisive immigration policies.’
The Democratic Party leader added that the most “disheartening” aspect of the Republican primary is seeing presidential candidates suggest that children born to illegal immigrants are not U.S. citizens. She also suggested that the GOP should “join Democrats in supporting policies” that help Hispanic Americans, such as increasing the minimum wage, promoting equal pay, expanding opportunities for higher education and ensuring access to affordable healthcare.
Although halfway through Hispanic Heritage month, the DNC used the day before the debate to highlight “how Republicans celebrate Hispanic Heritage month,” and list the GOP’s stance on immigration policies and emphasize why the Democratic Party is, in their eyes, the only party Hispanics should vote for. Two major candidates in the GOP field, Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, have Hispanic roots, and Jeb Bush’s wife is from Mexico.
Despite this, the DNC believes that all Republicans view immigration policy and Hispanic issues in the same way that front-runner Donald Trump does. When the business mogul announced his presidential campaign to criminals and rapists illegally immigrating from Mexico. He has since vowed to deport millions of illegal immigrants within the first two years of being election and build a $20 billion wall along the U.S-Mexico border.
“The other candidates seem to become more Donald Trump-like, they are jumping on his bandwagon pretty quickly,” House Democratic Caucus Chairman Xavier Becerra told reporters on a phone call on Tuesday. “It seems now that instead of separating themselves from Donald Trump they are becoming more similar. Of course we still have along way to go, but it will be very interesting … right now it’s the Donald Trump show and the Donald Trump circus.”
