In 2012, Mitt Romney lost many demographics, but Asian-Americans worst of all. He managed to capture only 26 percent of the vote while Obama was re-elected with 73 percent of the demographic. That could continue if Donald Trump is the Republican nominee.
NBC News profiled young Republican Asian-Americans. The issues they take with Trump, and the state of the election, are neither unique nor unfounded. They are also concerned with the violence surrounding his Chicago rallies and think it can be attributed to Trump’s rhetoric.
Beth Fukumoto Chang, 32, is the GOP leader for the Hawaii House of Representatives. But with Trump winning her state, she might not be able to support her party. She said that “I think a lot of people like me are trying to figure out what that’s going to mean.” Having voted for Democrats before, “it’s not out of the question.”
Her concern is diversity and sexism, as well as the rhetoric of Trump’s campaign.
Twenty-five year old Niraj Antani is the youngest elected official to the Ohio House of Representatives and the first Indian-American Republican elected to his state’s legislature. He is campaigning for his second term and supports John Kasich.
Antani became interested in politics in 2008 when he met John McCain at the Ohio State University. Trump’s comments about McCain thus were a particular blow to Antani, who hoped that would be the end of Trump.
Another concern is questions surrounding Trump as a conservative and how the party can return to its principles. Fukumoto Chang would prefer to focus on the historical aspects of the Republican Party, such as ending slavery, despite how divisive Trump’s rhetoric can be.
Antani also takes particular issue with Trump’s support for Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider, which Antani has been outspoken against in the legislature. Ohio recently voted to defund Planned Parenthood, which Kasich signed into law.
“I believe in a conservative vision,” he said. Speaking on how “Trump’s been pro-Obamacare, pro-abortion, and pro-tax increases,” he believes “that’s not conservative.”
What will they do if Trump is the nominee? Fukumoto Chang points to how “it’s one election cycle and there should be room to disagree.” This mean “those of us who are concerned with the direction of the party will have to be a little louder.”
If not, the GOP could risk losing Asian-Americans.
