Donald Trump, billionaire and Republican presidential candidate, made his latest attack on Mexican immigrants during an appearance Saturday on Fox and Friends , saying America needs to crack down on border control.
Using the apparently random killing of a young woman in San Francisco as an example, Trump said it was important for the United States to secure its borders to protect its citizens, according to the USA Today .
Kathryn Steinle, 32, was shot and killed Wednesday evening as she walked with her family along the scenic Embarcadero waterfront by a convicted felon who had been deported five times.
Trump told CNN the random killing was proof voters should elect him.
“This senseless and totally preventable act of violence committed by an illegal immigrant is yet another example of why we must secure our border immediately. This is an absolutely disgraceful situation and I am the only one that can fix it. Nobody else has the guts to even talk about it. That won’t happen if I become President.”
Saturday’s comments follow other controversial statements made by the presidential candidate condemning illegal Mexican immigrants as “rapists” and “killers.”
Donald also said he plans to build a border wall to keep out illegal immigrants and said he plans to make Mexico pay for it.
Trump’s far right presidential bid has him leading in early state and national polls.
A CNN/ORC poll shows only two Republican candidates with double-digit support: Donald Trump and Jeb Bush. Bush leads the field with 19 percent, followed by Trump with 12 percent, but Hillary Clinton has them both beat in general election head-to-head contests.
Trump’s comments about illegal immigration, while controversial, seem to have hit a chord with conservative and conservative leaning voters as he has drawn supporters away from Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio.
With the economy appearing as a large issue in the upcoming election, Donald has also attempted to position himself as the jobs candidate as well as the immigration candidate.
Not everyone is happy with Trump’s comments, however.
Univision and NBC have dropped him, Macy’s stopped carrying his products, and NASCAR ended its association with the billionaire as well.
These large corporations echo the sentiment of other Americans who are offended by Trump’s anti-Mexican immigrant comments , including Adriana Almanza, who responded to Donald in an open letter gone viral.
In the letter, Adriana describes her father, who came to America 30 years ago as an illegal immigrant, as a hard working man to whom she owes everything. She goes on to thank her father for enabling her to earn a Master’s degree, saying family is more important than money.
Whether Trump’s controversial comments will propel him into the White House or not remains to be seen, but Donald told CNN he was the right man for the job .
“Politicians are all talk and no action and the American public is ready for a leader with a proven track record of success.”
[Photo by Richard Ellis / Scott Olson /Getty Images]
