The Trump Show Gets Panned by California Latinos

I understand why a lot of people would be furious that this opportunist has scored cheap political points on the backs of Mexican immigrants. As if those immigrants didn't do enough work in this country.

And I understand why people feel strongly enough about taking a stand that they go out into the streets and voice their disapproval over a presidential candidate's words and deeds.

This is, after all, the quintessentially American thing to do. Nativists always call on immigrants, and their children, to assimilate. Well, this is what assimilation looks like.

What I don't understand is why any of these protesters would wave a Mexican flag. Let alone why they would vandalize police cars and terrorize Trump supporters, who may be wrong but have every right to be wrong without being bullied or berated. These people need to grow up. Demanding to be respected by the people of one country while waving the colors of another is illogical. It's also bad manners.

Just like Trump displayed when he joked to the audience that, in climbing over barriers and side-stepping protesters to get into the auditorium, he felt like he was "crossing the border."

Cracks like this left Joe Scarborough perplexed. During a recent segment of MSNBC's "Morning Joe," the host suggested that Trump's advisers must know they need to tone it down.

"They understand that Trump cannot win the general election without 35 percent of Hispanics voting for him," Scarborough said. "This seems awfully late in the calendar to be doing things that made sense in January."

Wake up, Joe. What Trump is peddling is anti-Mexican demagoguery, which is intended to scare white Americans into believing that Mexicans are criminals and takers and the ruin of civilization. Then he hopes they flock to him for protection. These cultural scare tactics are always wrong. They never make sense. They only make enemies.

And Trump has plenty of those in California.

========

Ruben Navarrette's email address is ruben@rubennavarrette.com.