Watch this weekend clip between Fusion’s Jorge Ramos and the RNC Chief Reince Priebus below. In it, Ramos asks Priebus why Republicans continue to demonize immigrants and attack executive action even though the party knows it must do better with Latino voters. Priebus has the gall to claim that attacks on executive action are about the President’s authority, rather than immigration, and that Republicans are the ones leading conversations on immigration.
JR: Why are Republicans [attacking immigrants by trying to overturn executive action]? Aren’t you concerned you will lose the White House in 2016?
RP: I do agree that we have to have serious immigration reform in our country…But this is a fight over the Constitution. This is a question over whether the president has the authority under the law to create this executive action. I don’t believe he does. That’s the question.
JR: Other presidents have done it. Reagan did it.
RP: I don’t believe he does, not to this magnitude…we just implore everyone to separate immigration from the fight.
JR: Let me read you something from your own analysis: ‘If Hispanics don’t think we want them here, they won’t vote for our party.’ And yet you’re doing the exact same thing right now. John Boehner blocked Republicans from passing immigration in the House. And according to Congressman Luis Gutierrez, the Republican approach to immigration is only deportations, deportations, deportations. Why?
RP: I don’t think that’s the case at all. I think it’s the Republican Party leading the way on conversations on immigration, not the Democrats.