CNN Investigates Why Latinos In Florida Voted For Trump: "Silent Majority Has Won"
CNN's Randi Kaye goes to a Cuban diner in Orlando to get the Latino reaction to a Trump victory. CNN found that Latinos in Florida have a problem with people illegally entering the country, one legal immigrant said, "I came through the front door." One person interviewed expressed excitement for a border wall while another and declared "the silent majority" has won.
The stunned CNN anchor said Florida Latinos "loved that he isn't politically correct."
"The bottom line is that they broke the law. When I came to this country, I came through the front door," Juan Torres, a Trump voter, told the CNNer.
"Do you think everyone should go through the front door as you say like you did?" the CNN correspondent asked.
"If you go to somebody's house, you go through the front door," he responded.
Transcript, via CNN:
ANDERSON COOPER: Hillary Clinton won the Latino vote on Tuesday, 65 percent to Trump's 29 percent, but her share of Latino votes was less than President Obama's in 2012.
In Florida more than a third of Latinos backed Trump. Randi Kaye talked to some of them.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'll take the vodka spritzer.
KAYE: At this popular Cuban diner just outside Orlando, Latinos who voted for President-elect Donald Trump are holding their heads high.
MARISOL SANTIAGO, VOTED FOR DONALD TRUMP: I'm so proud. I am -- I'm Puerto Rican myself. And I'm super proud to be able to vote for Trump.
MANDY DIAZ, VOTED FOR DONALD TRUMP: It feels so much sweeter now that the silent majority has won.
AMAPOLA HANSBERGER, VOTED FOR DONALD TRUMP: To me, it's a miracle. It's a miracle.
D. TRUMP: Thank you.
KAYE: CNN's exit polls showed 35 percent of Latino voters in Florida chose Trump despite him painting some Mexicans as criminals and rapists and regardless of his plan to build a wall and deport millions of illegal immigrants.
HANSBERGER: I have a problem with people coming illegally. They need to tell us who they are.
LOUIS GUTIERREZ, VOTED FOR DONALD TRUMP: We don't want corruption to come in here. We don't want drug traffickers. We don't want people bent on committing crimes. Who doesn't want to get rid of those people?
KAYE: And about that wall at the southern border?
SANTIAGO: I am very happy about the wall and I hope it does happen. I mean, if you're going to come to my country, come here legally. If you don't like the way we are running things, then go back to where you belong.
KAYE: This millennial from Cuba waited five years to get his U.S. citizenship. This was the first time he could vote in a presidential election and voted Trump.
So he talks about this deportation force.
DIAZ: Absolutely.
KAYE: And deporting all these illegals. You're on board with that?
DIAZ: Absolutely. They broke laws. Now they have to face punishment for those laws.
KAYE: Dr. Juan Torres who waited 10 years to become a citizen does worry people he knows could be deported but ...
JUAN TORRES, VOTED FOR DONALD TRUMP: The bottom line is that they broke the law. When I came to this country, I came through the front door.
KAYE: Do you think everyone should go through the front door as you say like you did.
TORRES: If you go to somebody's house, you go through the front door.
KAYE: Beyond immigration, these voters think Trump's team will defeat ISIS.
GUTIERREZ: He's not negotiating with terrorists that are killing children, that are raping little girls, he wants to exterminate them and I agree with that 100 percent.
KAYE: He gets high marks on the economy and jobs, too.
SANTIAGO: He is a businessman and that to me was very important because I am a businesswoman myself. I feel that he will grow this economy for sure, you know, take us out of debt.
TORRES: Latinos need jobs. The number one thing that they are concerned with is economy, jobs, and Donald Trump is a job creator. He was a job creator all of his life. This is what he knows how to do.
KAYE: And while they admit he's hardly the perfect candidate ...
SANTIAGO: I don't personally love him. I'm not -- I'm not in love with Trump. I'm in love with his ideas and what he has to offer for our country.
KAYE: They are quick to defend what others call derogatory comments about Latinos and tweets like this one on Cinco de Mayo. That's the President-elect eating a taco salad, the caption reads, I love Hispanics.
HANSBERGER: I would put my foot in my mouth also. So we have to be compassionate to people and say, well, he's an average individual.
KAYE: And Anderson, what surprised me most about talking to these voters is how forgiving they are of Donald Trump despite his insults to the Latino community throughout this campaign.
They basically explained it away saying that he's misunderstood, they love the fact that he isn't politically correct, and they really latched on to his campaign slogan "Make America Great Again".
They fought for years to get here. Many of them spent years waiting to get citizenship here in the United States. They love this country, Anderson, and they believe that he does too.
CNN's Randi Kaye goes to a Cuban diner in Orlando to get the Latino reaction to a Trump victory. CNN found that Latinos in Florida have a problem with people illegally entering the country, one legal immigrant said, "I came through the front door." One person interviewed expressed excitement for a border wall while another and declared "the silent majority" has won.
The stunned CNN anchor said Florida Latinos "loved that he isn't politically correct."
"The bottom line is that they broke the law. When I came to this country, I came through the front door," Juan Torres, a Trump voter, told the CNNer.
"Do you think everyone should go through the front door as you say like you did?" the CNN correspondent asked.
"If you go to somebody's house, you go through the front door," he responded.
Transcript, via CNN:
ANDERSON COOPER: Hillary Clinton won the Latino vote on Tuesday, 65 percent to Trump's 29 percent, but her share of Latino votes was less than President Obama's in 2012.
In Florida more than a third of Latinos backed Trump. Randi Kaye talked to some of them.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'll take the vodka spritzer.
KAYE: At this popular Cuban diner just outside Orlando, Latinos who voted for President-elect Donald Trump are holding their heads high.
MARISOL SANTIAGO, VOTED FOR DONALD TRUMP: I'm so proud. I am -- I'm Puerto Rican myself. And I'm super proud to be able to vote for Trump.
MANDY DIAZ, VOTED FOR DONALD TRUMP: It feels so much sweeter now that the silent majority has won.
AMAPOLA HANSBERGER, VOTED FOR DONALD TRUMP: To me, it's a miracle. It's a miracle.
D. TRUMP: Thank you.
KAYE: CNN's exit polls showed 35 percent of Latino voters in Florida chose Trump despite him painting some Mexicans as criminals and rapists and regardless of his plan to build a wall and deport millions of illegal immigrants.
HANSBERGER: I have a problem with people coming illegally. They need to tell us who they are.
LOUIS GUTIERREZ, VOTED FOR DONALD TRUMP: We don't want corruption to come in here. We don't want drug traffickers. We don't want people bent on committing crimes. Who doesn't want to get rid of those people?
KAYE: And about that wall at the southern border?
SANTIAGO: I am very happy about the wall and I hope it does happen. I mean, if you're going to come to my country, come here legally. If you don't like the way we are running things, then go back to where you belong.
KAYE: This millennial from Cuba waited five years to get his U.S. citizenship. This was the first time he could vote in a presidential election and voted Trump.
So he talks about this deportation force.
DIAZ: Absolutely.
KAYE: And deporting all these illegals. You're on board with that?
DIAZ: Absolutely. They broke laws. Now they have to face punishment for those laws.
KAYE: Dr. Juan Torres who waited 10 years to become a citizen does worry people he knows could be deported but ...
JUAN TORRES, VOTED FOR DONALD TRUMP: The bottom line is that they broke the law. When I came to this country, I came through the front door.
KAYE: Do you think everyone should go through the front door as you say like you did.
TORRES: If you go to somebody's house, you go through the front door.
KAYE: Beyond immigration, these voters think Trump's team will defeat ISIS.
GUTIERREZ: He's not negotiating with terrorists that are killing children, that are raping little girls, he wants to exterminate them and I agree with that 100 percent.
KAYE: He gets high marks on the economy and jobs, too.
SANTIAGO: He is a businessman and that to me was very important because I am a businesswoman myself. I feel that he will grow this economy for sure, you know, take us out of debt.
TORRES: Latinos need jobs. The number one thing that they are concerned with is economy, jobs, and Donald Trump is a job creator. He was a job creator all of his life. This is what he knows how to do.
KAYE: And while they admit he's hardly the perfect candidate ...
SANTIAGO: I don't personally love him. I'm not -- I'm not in love with Trump. I'm in love with his ideas and what he has to offer for our country.
KAYE: They are quick to defend what others call derogatory comments about Latinos and tweets like this one on Cinco de Mayo. That's the President-elect eating a taco salad, the caption reads, I love Hispanics.
HANSBERGER: I would put my foot in my mouth also. So we have to be compassionate to people and say, well, he's an average individual.
KAYE: And Anderson, what surprised me most about talking to these voters is how forgiving they are of Donald Trump despite his insults to the Latino community throughout this campaign.
They basically explained it away saying that he's misunderstood, they love the fact that he isn't politically correct, and they really latched on to his campaign slogan "Make America Great Again".
They fought for years to get here. Many of them spent years waiting to get citizenship here in the United States. They love this country, Anderson, and they believe that he does too.
