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Colorado Latinos criticize Donald Trump tweet

Posted at 9:35 PM, May 05, 2016
and last updated 2016-05-06 00:57:08-04

Donald Trump may be the last Republican presidential candidate standing, but after a Cinco de Mayo tweet, some Colorado Latinos say he is last person they would support.

Trump tweeted a picture of himself eating a taco bowl and wrote: "Happy #CincoDeMayo! The best taco bowls are made in Trump Tower Grill. I love Hispanics!"

"I think Trump is completely insensitive," said Alvina Vasquez, state director of Colorado's Voice, a nonprofit that works to engage Latino voters. "His business was built on the backs of Latinos that helped him become successful and what he boils that down to is eating a taco salad."

A recent poll by America's Voice showed 91 percent of Colorado Latino voters had an unfavorable opinion of Trump.

Vasquez points to comments Trump has made calling Mexicans rapists, promising to "round up" and deport 11 million people, and talking about building a wall to explain the overwhelming response against the candidate.

In fact, she said Trump's racist undertones have motivated many first-time voters to register to vote against him.

Denver resident IrianaCorall, 18, said Trump has encouraged her to go into her community and promote engagement.

"He motivates people to move against him," said Corral, who will vote for the first time in November. "I feel he only represents a select few people, and there are other candidates in the running that would represent the people much better than he would."

Even national Republican leaders, such as Speaker Paul Ryan aren't quite ready to endorse the polarizing candidate.

"I'm just not ready to do that at this point. I m not there right now," Ryan said in a CNN interview Thursday.

Still, the Colorado GOP has stated its support, along with the Chairman of the Colorado Hispanic Republicans, Hugo Chavez-Rey.

"He's not our first choice, but it is what it is. We can't do much about it at this point," said Chavez-Rey. "He's better than the other side."

The Pew Research Center said that some 15 percent of Colorado eligible voters are Hispanic.

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