Maria Hinojosa, an NPR host who appears to have confused her role as journalist with that of a social psychologist, recently made outlandish claims about Hispanic voters’ support for Donald Trump. In a rather curious assertion, she suggested that this key demographic is backing Trump over Kamala Harris because they “want to be white.” This seems to be another case of elite commentators not understanding the very real concerns of everyday voters.
Hinojosa’s analysis, if one can call it that, comes during a time when Trump is seeing increasing support among Hispanic voters due to his policies on immigration and the economy. After Biden effectively dropped out of the race, Harris has regained some traction among Hispanic voters, but not enough to quell the rising tide of support for Trump. Meanwhile, Hinojosa seems baffled that many Hispanic voters appreciate Trump’s business acumen, which flies in the face of her narrative that they must want to abandon their identity for approval from a privileged class.
In her attempt to dismiss Hispanic voters’ sentiments, Hinojosa interrogated their motivations, suggesting they shun immigrants Trump criticizes. It’s quite the spectacle when a journalist spends more time critiquing voters than understanding the issues they actually care about. The notion that people would rather align with someone like Trump because they want to “be with the cool kids” trivializes real issues like crime, job security, and the well-being of their families. Apparently, empathy is not part of her M.O.
Harris is finding herself in a precarious position in her race against Trump, trailing him by a slim margin in key states like Arizona. Polls reflect that Trump’s strategy resonates with voters despite Hinojosa’s objections about his past business failures. It’s almost as if her commentary inadvertently reveals deep-seated elitism among some media figures who think they can dictate how people should feel about their own lives.
MSNBC Guest Claims That Hispanics Back Trump Because They ‘Want To Be White’ https://t.co/pKz3Vpqvqd via @dailycaller
— Ceil Utnik (@UtnikCeil39401) October 1, 2024
Additionally, amid her analysis, Hinojosa touched on Trump’s and Republican Senator J.D. Vance’s discussions surrounding unconfirmed reports about pets being taken by migrants in Springfield, Ohio. Instead of addressing voter concerns about immigration and local policies directly, it seems the focus remains on what those mentioned rumors might mean in a politically charged context. It begs the question: How do liberal elites expect to sway voters when they continuously overlook their real-life experiences?
Hinojosa’s comments serve as a reminder of the disconnect between media pundits and the citizens they claim to represent. With Harris potentially facing a significant deficit among Hispanic voters, one thing becomes clear: underestimating voters’ intelligence and motivations is a losing strategy. The talking points of the left may not work as well as they hope in the real world, especially when voters prioritize their actual needs over virtue signaling from their purported champions.