Samuel Rodriguez outlines 5 ways Harris-Walz ticket could 'push Latinos to Trump'

By Ryan Foley, Christian Post Reporter Friday, September 13, 2024

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a visit to Minnesota on March 14, 2024. Behind her is Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, whom she recently named as her vice presidential running mate. | Public Domain/Office of Governor Walz & Lt. Governor Flanagan

The Democratic presidential ticket of Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is embracing "extreme" positions that will push more Hispanic and Latino voters to vote for Republican former President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election, prominent Hispanic Christian leader Samuel Rodriguez believes.

Rodriguez, a California pastor who leads the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, published an op-ed in Fox News titled "5 Ways Harris, Walz push Latinos to Trump and could hand him the White House."

"The Democratic Party's misunderstanding of the Latino voter remains evident," he wrote. "For years, we have tried to convey that their extreme, progressive, hard-left policies do not resonate with our community."

"Despite this, they continue to push an agenda that drives Latinos further into the conservative camp," he continued.

Embracing late-term abortion

He criticized Democrats' position on abortion, saying it is the first factor causing Latinos to move away from Democrats.

"The party has made this election about abortion without addressing the issue in a way that resonates with Latinos. How many Latino women truly support late-term abortion? The reality is that the vast majority of Latino voters find the idea of late-term abortion morally unacceptable."

Rodriguez lamented that "the Democratic Party has now shifted dramatically to an 'abortion on demand policy, which includes late-term abortions up to the ninth month."

"This extreme position deeply unsettles many Latinos, particularly those of faith," he stated. "Many Latinos, who may support some form of reproductive rights, cannot accept the idea of unrestricted abortion until birth."

"Under President Barack Obama, the stance was that abortion should be 'legal, safe, and rare,'" he recalled. "The Democrats had the opportunity to return to the rhetoric of President Obama, who understood the complexity of the issue while still upholding reproductive rights. Instead, they embraced an extreme, Planned Parenthood-centered mantra that conflicts with the values of the Latino community."

Freezing food prices

Rodriguez maintained that Harris' plan to freeze "prices on food and essential items raises deep concerns among Latinos" as many Latinos in the U.S. fled countries where such policies were implemented, characterizing Harris' remarks as a reminder of the "failed socialist and communist regimes in Latin America."

Asserting that such policies "led to economic collapse and widespread suffering" and caused Latinos to flee countries such as Venezuela, Rodriguez said, "Hearing similar rhetoric from a candidate for the highest office in the land serves as a stark reminder of why we left our homelands and why we cannot allow America to follow that same destructive path."

Hostility to parental rights

Rodriguez, the pastor of New Season Church in Sacramento, said that the direction of some Democratic-led states regarding the rights of parents "raises serious concerns."

"Latinos value family above all else," Rodriguez stated, condemning the passage of laws in states like Washington, Oregon and Massachusetts "that could allow the state to take away a child from their parents if the parents do not agree with a new gender identity embraced by the child."

He described such laws as contradictions of "the values of our Constitution and our God-given rights as parents."

Border security

Rodriguez contends that "the Democrats' open-border policies" have "resulted in over 11 million illegal entries in the past three years" and could also cause Latinos to embrace Republicans in 2024.

He attributed "rising crime rates" and migrants "flooding our streets with fentanyl" to Democrats' immigration policies.

Choosing Tim Walz as running mate

He suggested that Harris' failure to choose a Latino running mate could hurt her with the demographic. In early August, Harris chose Walz, a white male, to be her running mate.

At the time of Walz's selection, Rodriguez teamed up with Minnesota megachurch Pastor Robert Ketterling to issue a joint statement to The Christian Post arguing that the Walz selection "will tank Kamala Harris' presidential candidacy."

"By choosing Tim Walz, Kamala Harris has effectively alienated independent and moderate voters — an electoral demographic crucial for winning battleground states like Pennsylvania, Nevada, Arizona, and North Carolina," wrote Rodriguez and Ketterling.

"Walz has signed laws restricting free speech for pastors, made derogatory comments about conservatives, and embraced socialism — all of which make him an unappealing choice for those in the political center. His lack of likability, often coming across as angry and on the edge of violence, only exacerbates his inability to connect with a broader electorate."

In his Fox News op-ed, Rodriguez concluded by proclaiming that while Democrats "may seem affable and open to the Hispanic American experience within the confines of their party, their actions and policies tell a different story."

"With each election cycle, the Democratic Party is becoming increasingly anti-Latino," he stated.

In a 2022 interview with The Christian Post, Rodriguez predicted based on polls at the time that Latinos would move away from the party due to its "anti-Christian" and "anti-religious liberty" platform.

Recent polls measuring Latinos' voting intentions in the 2024 presidential election show Harris receiving a smaller share of the demographic's vote compared to the previous two elections, while Trump does not necessarily receive a higher share. A poll of 3,000 Latino voters conducted by UnidosUS and BSP Research between Aug. 6 and 23 shows that 59% of respondents plan to back Harris, while 31% intend to support Trump.

A survey from Univision Noticias/YouGov based on 1,100 responses collected between Aug. 10 and 16 finds that 53% of Latino voters support Harris while 38% prefer Trump. A poll of 202 Latino voters conducted by The New York Times and Siena College from Sept. 3-6 shows a closer race, with support for Harris measured at 52% and 40% planning to back Trump.

Rodriguez asserts, "President Trump will likely walk away with at least 40% of the Latino vote," saying he would "not be surprised if he garners 42% or even 44%, matching the record set by President George W. Bush in the 2004 election."

"Latinos are no longer a shoo-in for the Democratic Party because they do not understand us," he wrote.

Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: [email protected]