Donald Trump Again Cancels on Latino Leaders in Miami, Hosts Fundraiser Instead
Instead of hosting a roundtable luncheon with Miami's Latino leaders on Tuesday, Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump held a fundraiser at the nearby golf course bearing his name.
Last Saturday, the Trump campaign announced a July 26 meeting with Latinos at Versailles, the venerable Cuban-American eatery known for such get-togethers. The rescheduled meeting again had to be cancelled, this time because guests could not commit on short notice.
"The participants that were supposed to be part of the original roundtable are not in town," said Trump national political adviser Karen Giorno told the Miami Herald. "We're going to wait until we can get them."
The original meeting was postponed following the July 7 deadly shooting of five Dallas police officers. Many of the state's prominent Hispanic politicians - like Sen. Marco Rubio and Lt. Gov. Carlos López-Cantera - were expected.
Campaign chairman Paul Manafort still held a half-hour-long conference call with Hispanic pastors and entrepreneurs that Friday, but Trump would not Miami visit for three weeks, immediately following his nomination at the Republican National Convention.
Trump Fundraises with Latinos
In lieu of lunch Tuesday afternoon, Trump invited religious and civil leaders to a fundraising dinner at his National Doral Miami golf course co-hosted by state Rep. Carlos Trujillo, billionaire sugar baron José "Pepe" Fanjul Sr., and former Florida International University Emeritus Modesto Maidique.
As for Trump's message, Trujillo told the Miami Herald that the dinner was more of a listening session than a stump speech.
"One thing all Hispanics want to see is immigration reform," he said. "He is still forming the solution."
Nationwide Hispanic Opposition
Trump held a Wednesday morning press conference in which he said a new immigration plan will be released in the news few weeks, and that poll numbers show support among Latinos is increasing.
"I've been doing very well with the Hispanic community. I mean, really well," Trump said, referring to a L.A. Times poll that showed support over 40 percent as "the biggest bounce in memory."
A recent NBC News/ Wall Street Journal/ Telemundo poll found just 14 percent of 300 registered Latino voters would back Trump in a head-to-head race against Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton; three out of four said there are voting for Clinton. Over 60 percent said they are "pessimistic and worried" over the real estate magnate's presidential acumen.
A Washington Post/ABC News poll released last month found 70 percent of Americans hold an unfavorable view of Trump; 89 percent of Hispanics said the same.
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