Today, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus issued a strong statement calling on NBC to revoke Donald Trump’s “Saturday Night Live” hosting duties, scheduled for this weekend.
“Mr. Trump’s racist remarks and his continued rhetoric demonizing Latinos and immigrants has created fear within these communities around the country, many of which are represented in Congress by Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.”
The statement notes that Trump’s racist rhetoric has led to physical and verbal attacks against Latinos and immigrants at the hands of Trump supporters since the launch of his campaign.
While NBCUniversal initially ended its business relationship with Trump following his vile claim in June that immigrants from Mexico are “rapists,” advocates are slamming the network for inviting the candidate to host the comedy show this weekend, providing him with a platform for his ugly views.
“The Congressional Hispanic Caucus urges NBCUniversal to stand by its earlier commitment to end its relationship with Mr. Trump.”
The full statement of opposition to Trump hosting SNL, adopted by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, is below.
Whereas, Mr. Donald Trump has been invited to host Saturday Night Live on NBC on November 7, 2015;
Whereas, Saturday Night Live is a flagship program on a national network;
Whereas, on June 16, 2015, Mr. Trump denounced both the Hispanic and immigrant communities by saying, “When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best…They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems to us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists…They’re sending us not the right people. It’s coming from more than Mexico. It’s coming from all over South and Latin America, and it’s coming probably…from the Middle East;”
Whereas, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus responded on June 19, 2015 by denouncing Mr. Trump, expressing outrage at his divisive and hateful rhetoric towards Mexicans and Latinos alike, and by warning that such incendiary rhetoric can lead to violence;
Whereas, numerous businesses, corporations, and individuals severed ties with Mr. Trump as a consequence;
Whereas, on June 29, 2015, NBCUniversal also ended “its business relationship” with Mr. Trump because of “the recent derogatory statements by Donald Trump regarding immigrants,” and because, “[a]t NBC, respect and dignity for all people are cornerstones of our values;”
Whereas, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus received assurances from Comcast, owner of NBCUniversal, during its intended merger with Time Warner that both Comcast and NBCUniversal were committed to both Latinos and diversity;
Whereas, Mr. Trump’s racist remarks and his continued rhetoric demonizing Latinos and immigrants has created fear within these communities around the country, many of which are represented in Congress by Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus;
Whereas, on August 19, 2015, two men in Boston, Massachusetts attacked and brutally beat a Hispanic man, and one of the perpetrators told the police that, “Donald Trump was right, all these illegals need to be deported;”
Whereas, on September 12, 2015 in Ames, Iowa during a peaceful protest outside of an Iowa State University football game where Mr. Trump made an appearance, a woman ripped the sign of a Latino student that read, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter;”
Therefore, be it resolved that the Congressional Hispanic Caucus calls upon NBCUniversal, Broadway Video, and SNL Executive Producer Lorne Michaels to disinvite Mr. Trump from hosting Saturday Night Live because racism is not funny; and
Be it further resolved, that the Congressional Hispanic Caucus urges NBCUniversal to stand by its earlier commitment to end its relationship with Mr. Trump because the values of “respect and dignity for all people” are more important than ratings and ad revenues.
