With Rubio Out of the Presidential Race, Carlos Curbelo Must Accept Donald Trump
Donald Trump’s dominance in yesterday’s critical primary contests further cemented his place as the likely Republican nominee and party standard bearer (cue shudders up Republican establishment spines). Until yesterday, Carlos Curbelo was hiding behind his endorsement of Marco Rubio and adopting the bizarre tactic of calling Donald Trump a Democratic plant. Today Carlos Curbelo must accept the reality that the anti-immigrant Donald Trump will be the Republican nominee. It might be easier of Carlos Curbelo to distance himself from Donald Trump if he hadn’t already supported a lawsuit against the President on DACA/DAPA nor supported Paul Ryan for Speaker after he callously promised to not address immigration reform. Now Congressman Curbelo must accept that his prospects in South Florida are significantly damaged by Donald Trump’s offensive campaign.
“The bottom line is that Trump is dominating the field and has cemented his spot as the Republican Party standard bearer.” said DCCC Spokesman Jermaine House. “Carlos Curbelo’s failure to build a pro-immigrant record means he will be tied to the anti-immigrant rhetoric of Donald Trump, spelling doom for his candidacy in South Florida.”
Trump at the top of the ticket is bad news for vulnerable Republicans like Carlos Curbelo. House GOP polling indicates that “a plurality of respondents — 48 percent to 40 percent — would be less likely to vote for a Republican congressional candidate or incumbent if Trump were the nominee.”
Let’s remember that the Republican Party standard bearer refused to denounce David Duke and the Ku Klux Klan. Trump also retweets white supremacists, calls Mexican immigrants rapists, tramples on the Constitution and incites violence. Despite all of this, Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy has said he’ll “work with Donald Trump,” NRCC Chairman Greg Walden embarrassingly compared Trump to Ronald Reagan, and Speaker Paul D. Ryan pledged to support Trump if he is the nominee.