Frank Sharry: “Donald Trump is not a clown to be dismissed, he’s a threat to be defeated”
We have long recognized the dangers of Donald Trump and his blend of nativism, demagoguery and authoritarianism.
Since his campaign launch, Trump has tried to mainstream a vision of America that is taken directly from the fringes of the white nationalist anti-immigrant movement, such as his call for a Deportation Force to remove every undocumented immigrant and millions of American citizen children within the first two years of his administration. While noting our confidence that the immigration reform movement and our allies across America would make sure that Trump’s policy ideas were never implemented, last August we imagined what life would be like if Trump’s noxious Deportation Force idea became a reality:
“Immigration agents roaming Latino neighborhoods; a massive increase in the detention and deportation of undocumented immigrants; U.S citizen kids having their citizenship and passports revoked; weeping families being ripped apart; immigrant workers being pushed out of jobs and into a burgeoning informal sector of exploited labor; entire industries, from agriculture to hospitality to childcare and beyond, facing existential threats; a sharp economic downturn due to the disruption in the labor market; a massive wave of resistance and conflict throughout America; allies around the world denouncing America for human rights abuses…”
Now, with Trump the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, he is perilously close to the presidency of the United States. He is one step away from having the chance to implement his dystopic vision of America.
The following is a statement from Frank Sharry, Executive Director of America’s Voice:
“Donald Trump is not a clown to be dismissed, he’s a threat to be defeated. He has thrown a match on the racialized fumes of modern-day nativism and presented us all with a moment of truth.
This is a moment of truth for Republicans, whether they are #withTrump or not. There is no room for equivocation or middle ground on this matter, as country should always come before Party. Unless Republicans follow the lead of Sen. Ben Sasse and disavow Trump’s vision and announce that they will not vote for him, they are providing cover and support for Trump and his dangerous vision.
This is a moment of truth for Latino, Asian-American and immigrant voters. Comprising the fast-growing segments of the American electorate, many have been scapegoated and demonized by Trump’s dark vision for America. The November elections will be a referendum on Trump’s ‘us’ vs. ‘them’ bigotry and no one can afford to sit this one out. The priority of registering, mobilizing, and turning out the vote must match the urgency of the threat posed by Trump.
And this is a moment of truth for America. Do we aspire to Trump’s vision of an aggrieved, fearful country anchored in white identity politics, or do we aspire to a strong, positive vision of an America that prizes its multiethnic nature and strives for equality and opportunity for all?
We have six months to ensure that our America and our values prevail. We have six months to prove that we are stronger than the threat posed by Trump. We have six months to stand up for an America that is permanently evolving and for the better.”
