Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump canceled a Q&A appearance at the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) because the group wouldn’t fashion its questions to Trump’s liking.
Ammar Campa-Najjar, spokesperson for the USHCC, said that Trump canceled the appearance because the candidate was afraid he would be “put on trial” and noted an unwillingness to agree to the group’s terms and conditions. The USHCC responded by saying it would not change its format simply to please Trump.
The chamber faced criticism from young immigrants and several local chambers of commerce for “providing a platform” for Trump’s anti-immigrant and racist rhetoric. Pro-immigration groups planned a protest at Trump’s would-be appearance.
“We made it clear that we would hold Donald Trump accountable for his bigotry and he went running,” said Cristina Jimenez, cofounder and managing director of United We Dream. “I think it was very clear if the chamber was not going to hold him accountable, we were the one that was going to hold him accountable so Trump has clearly made the decision not to go.”
Trump thinks he’s going to get enough of the Hispanic vote to win the White House. However, he’s alienated Hispanics so much that he’ll be lucky to walk away with 25 percent.
For more on this story, visit NBC News “Donald Trump Cancels Q&A, Says Hispanic Chamber of Commerce”
