While Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has several notable supporters of color, his campaign and penchant for racist dog-whistles caused an understandable crisis of faith for many young conservatives of color. A new Complex piece explores that crisis through the experience of one millennial Republican.
"In the Trump days, it’s been very difficult to say out loud that I’m a Republican," Leslie Murillo, a Black Latina nurse, told Complex. "It has interfered with my identity as a Black Republican, which was always challenged, always questioned. I can’t even blame the people who are making these insults [now]—I mean, look at who our candidate is."
Murillo, who supports Black Lives Matter and is pro-choice, said that the Republican Party’s emphasis on small government and personal responsibility drew her in. She said that Trump’s vitriol towards Latinx immigrants and advocacy for nationwide stop-and-frisk turned her against him. "With the stop-and-frisk, that is where I draw the line," she said. "My brother is Black. When I have children, I’m going to have a Black child, and if I have a Black son I don’t want anybody frisking him because he’s Black—and let’s face it, that’s what stop-and-frisk is."
The article also quotes two Trump supporters of color, both young adults who are working on campaign outreach. "I think that Donald Trump’s focus is that all Americans get the benefits from the American dream," said Leah Le’Vell, a Black woman who likes Trump’s focus on jobs.
"I’ve realized what I want to do with my life and I really owe that to Trump," said Angelo Gomez, a Latino man who felt Trump’s words were taken out of context.
Despite Trump’s relative success with some Latinx voters, he still consistently polls lower than Hillary Clinton among both communities of color and younger voters. His own supporters, on the other hand, are more likely than others to hold negative opinions towards people of color.
Read the full article here.
(H/t FiveThirtyEight)