Actor and comedian John Leguizamo said religious Latinos who support former President Trump are “homophobic.”
During an interview with TMZ, Leguizamo was asked about Vice President Kamala Harris’ lower approval rating among Hispanic voters than her potential 2024 running mate, President Biden. The “John Wick” and “Encanto” star said Harris needs to “go big” and “approach” Hispanics more “aggressively,” suggesting the vice president needs to have big-name celebrity endorsements to encourage this age group to vote.
Asked about Latinos in the Sun Belt leaning toward Trump, Leguizamo suggested Harris may have a hard time winning over religious Latinos because of her views on abortion and LGBTQ issues.
“Latinos are not a monolith,” Leguizamo said. “No group is monolithic, so religious Latinos are anti-abortion, they’re homophobic,” he said, adding that these voters could be influenced by employment and housing issues.
CNN data expert says Harris is “struggling among voters of color” in the Sun Belt, which is “really interesting.”
John Leguizamo spoke to TMZ in a new interview about who Latino voters are rooting for in the 2024 election (Getty Images)
“What Latinos care about most is jobs and housing, so they might get that,” he continued.
“So when it comes to entrepreneurship, Latina women are the No. 1 entrepreneurs in America. And we Latinas have a very strong case for preserving the housing market … and Kamala Harris has raised those points, and she has to continue to make those points,” he said.
Leguizamo also suggested that Latinos who support Trump on immigration have no “sympathy or empathy” for people entering the US seeking asylum or crossing the border illegally.
“I think a lot of the immigrants who come here are competitive with other immigrants who are coming for some weird reason and don’t have any sympathy or empathy for people who are looking for a better life,” he said.
“Nobody wants to come to the border that way… They only do it if they have no other choice – if they’re fleeing violence or they’re starving to death,” he continued. “They’re just coming here to work. To get a job. No American is going to risk their life for a job.”
Nevada Hispanic voters say economy is making them consider voting for Trump
Crowds gather for a campaign rally for former U.S. President Donald Trump at Crotona Park in the South Bronx, New York City, on May 23, 2024. The Bronx, a heavily Latino borough, has been a Democratic stronghold for generations, and Trump held the rally to try to attract non-white voters. (Spencer Pratt/Getty Images)
The politically outspoken actor said in an interview with Salon magazine last May that Latinos don’t understand that Trump is responsible for “damaging” the economy.
“Hispanics are blaming him for the economy, but he shouldn’t do that because it was COVID-19 and Trump’s failure to deal with COVID-19 is what damaged the economy,” he told media.
For more articles on Media and Culture click here
Leguizamo also compared Latinos who support Trump to cockroaches who support pesticides.
“Latinos are to the Republican Party what cockroaches are to Reid. Let’s be realistic,” Leguizamo said on “Real Time with Bill Maher” in October 2020. “I think there’s a self-hatred and apathy toward other Latino brethren who are being demonized and caged by this president.”
Click here to get the FOX News app
Recent polls show Trump is gaining support among Hispanic voters in the 2020 presidential election. (Getty Images)
Recent polls have shown that Trump is outperforming his 2020 presidential opponents among Hispanic voters.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted in late August showed Hispanic voters giving Trump an edge over Harris on immigration, 42% to 37%. The poll also showed that Hispanic voters favor Trump on the economy, 45% to 36%, but give Harris double-digit advantages on health care and climate change.
Fox News’ Gabriel Hayes and Daniel Wallace contributed to this report.
Kristin Parks is deputy editor for Fox News Digital. Learn more here.
