Since rising as an unlikely political figure Donald Trump has presented a contrasting reality in regards to the Latino community. Like much of the media, the Spanish language networks coverage of the man has largely been negative. Meanwhile, in each election he has been involved in Trump and the GOP enjoyed growing support from Hispanic voters.
George Ramos, the fuegobrand journalist from Univision, has been a contentious figure with the Trump camp, going to the extent of seeing him escorted from a Trump press event when he first rose as a candidate. His network itself has had its issues with the candidate and president. Long critical of many of his activities while in the White House - especially his immigration policies - Univision was even the focus of Trump’s ire during the last general election.
But in the intervening years the approach by both sides appears to have softened, aided by a recent merger with a Mexican media company. Not only has there been a friendliness creeping into the relations between the two camps, but the network might be turning its back on President Biden as well. Recently an hourlong interview was conducted with Trump, and in conjunction he also feted some of the network’s top executives at Mar-A-Lago. That alone is quite the departure from Trump declaring the network “a mouthpiece of the Democratic party.”
Trump campaign says Univision is "Leftist propaganda" https://t.co/RpPkxonA4R pic.twitter.com/OLDgWDuDpf
— The Hill (@thehill) July 8, 2020
More than just a warming of a relationship (what is the Spanish term for “Glasnost”?), there also appears to be an active move away from Biden and the Democrats. When the announcement came that this Trump interview was taking place, the Biden camp made the move to run political ads during the broadcast. The network rebuffed the campaign.
The Democratic alarm further spiked two days later, when Univision advertising representatives told the Biden campaign that spots already purchased to run during the Trump interview in Nevada, Arizona, Pennsylvania and Florida had been canceled — owing to a heretofore unannounced policy about opposition advertising in single-candidate interviews.
There was also a proposed opposition response the Biden camp wanted to have run following the interview, but Univision executives spiked this idea. This reality of the Spanish network no longer showing the expected fealty to the Democrats is sending tremors throughout the party. A once reliable mouthpiece is displaying a tendency to give the opponents equal airtime - and possibly more.
This reality is shaking the Democrats. It is believed that thie Trump interview was behind the sudden resignation of longtime anchor Leon Krauze. As Puck News detailed, the reaction from one DNC member reveals a palpable panic. “The new ownership is essentially co-opting and kidnapping the soul and mission of what Univision has been up to now,” said the high-placed member. That soul and mission was apparently full dedication to the Democratic Party alone, seems the mentality of the party.
This shift by the network could possibly be a move to follow the drifting of the electorate. The voting numbers have been jarring for Democrats in recent years as the Hispanic support for the GOP has been steadily growing. In Florida alone the move has been stark. In 2018 longtime Democrat Senator Bill Nelson had counted on backing from his Orlando area, a Puerto-Rican enclave. Instead he lost to Rick Scott, giving the state two GOP senators for the first time since the Reconstruction. During the last general election it was a shock to see Trump enjoy near parity with Biden in the Hispanic-rich Miami-Dade area.
Much of this shift can be seen as a result of generational Hispanics having a resistance to Biden’s open-door policy granted to new immigrant arrivals. There is disapproval from many who have worked on achieving the American dream through hard work and determination, only to see those who illegally cross the border being granted several handouts today. Biden’s permissive stance has led to a flood of those coming into the country, and the fact they are then granted benefits is not sitting well with many second and third generation immigrants who had to earn those items for themselves.
There has been a steady tide of Latinos drifting at the ballot box. To now have a major Spanish news outlet showing a tendency to welcome Trump and Republicans is a shock to the Democratic system.
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