Actor John Leguizamo has expressed concerns about Vice President Kamala Harris's ability to win over Latino voters, particularly religious Latinos, due to their views on abortion and LGBTQ issues. Leguizamo suggested that Harris needs to be more aggressive in courting Latino voters and focus on issues such as jobs and housing.
Actor and comedian John Leguizamo recently shared his thoughts on the challenges Vice President Kamala Harris faces in courting Latino voters, particularly religious Latinos, due to their views on abortion and LGBTQ issues.
Leguizamo, known for his roles in films such as "John Wick" and "Encanto," made these comments during an interview with TMZ. He suggested that Harris needs to be more "aggressive" and "court" Latinos, possibly even enlisting the help of a big-name celebrity to endorse her.
VP Harris Faces Challenges in Courting Latino Voters, According to Actor John Leguizamo
Addressing the issue of Latino voters in the Sun Belt trending toward former President Donald Trump, Leguizamo expressed doubts about Harris's ability to sway religious Latinos due to their anti-abortion and homophobic views.
"Latino people are not a monolith," said Leguizamo. "No group is, right? So, religious Latinos, they are anti-abortion and homophobic," he added, suggesting that these voters might be swayed on issues such as jobs and housing.
VP Harris Faces Challenges in Courting Latino Voters, According to Actor John Leguizamo
Leguizamo pointed out that Latino women are the number one start-up business owners in America, and that Latinos play a significant role in keeping the housing market going. He stressed the importance of Harris emphasizing these points to resonate with Latino voters.
Furthermore, Leguizamo criticized Latinos who support Trump on immigration policies, suggesting that they lack "sympathy or empathy" for those seeking asylum or crossing the border illegally.
VP Harris Faces Challenges in Courting Latino Voters, According to Actor John Leguizamo
"I think a lot of immigrants who came here are competitive with other immigrants coming in for some weird reason and have no sympathy or empathy for people looking for a better life," he said. "Nobody wants to come to the border that way…you only do that if you have no other option. If you're running away from violence, starving to death," he continued. "They're only coming here to work. To get a job — no American would risk their life for a job."
Leguizamo has previously expressed concerns about Latino Americans not understanding Trump's detrimental impact on the economy. He has also compared Latinos who support Trump to roaches supporting insecticide.
VP Harris Faces Challenges in Courting Latino Voters, According to Actor John Leguizamo
Despite these challenges, polling indicates that Trump is outperforming his 2020 support among Hispanic voters. Recent Reuters/Ipsos polling shows that Hispanic voters give Trump a 42% to 37% advantage over Harris regarding immigration policy and prefer Trump's platform on the economy by 45% to 36%. However, Harris holds a double-digit advantage on the issues of health care and climate change.
Fox News contributors Gabriel Hays and Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.
