Donald Trump's comments in his campaign announcement speech about Mexicans were "completely unacceptable," and used outdated rhetoric that's "just completely wrong," former New York Gov. George Pataki said Wednesday, launching an early attack in the expanding GOP battle for the White House.
"I know a lot of my fellow Republicans say we have to appeal to the Latino vote, but they are afraid to say Donald Trump is wrong," Pataki, also a competitor for the party's nomination, said on
Fox News' "America's Newsroom" program.
"He may spend millions of dollars calling me a loser, but we cannot allow the American people to divide ourselves," Pataki said. "The Mexican-Americans are here to stay."
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Trump on Tuesday said he plans to sue the Spanish-language network Univision for a half-billion dollars after the network backed out of airing the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants, which the multibillionaire owns. NBC has also backed out of the Miss USA pageant, but Trump has not named the network in a suit.
While officially announcing his candidacy June 16, Trump accused Mexico of sending rapists and other criminals to the United States, saying "they're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime, they're rapists, and some I assume are good people, but I speak to border guards and they tell us what we are getting."
He told Fox News' Bill O'Reilly on Tuesday that he has a signed five-year contract with the network, and that they "have no right to terminate."
"We have 50 of the loveliest women you have ever seen in Louisiana who have been abandoned by NBC and abandoned by Univision," Trump told O'Reilly.
On Wednesday, Pataki said he understands Trump's filing a lawsuit, because "if they have a contract, they have a contract," but still, his comments about Mexicans, "I think, were completely unacceptable."
"His exact quote is 'some I assume are good people,'" said Pataki. "This is 100-year-old rhetoric that is just completely wrong. My grandmother came from Ireland. One hundred years ago, they were saying the Irish were all drunks. My grandfather came from Italy. They were saying then 100 years ago they were all from the Mafia."
Such "divisive rhetoric" is wrong, said Pataki, who notes that he agrees with Trump's call to close the border, but "insulting the millions of Mexicans who are here is just wrong."
Trump also railed Tuesday about Mexico taking U.S. jobs and manufacturing because "their representatives and leaders are smarter than ours," and on that, Pataki agreed.
"It's not Mexico's fault, it's our fault that we have taxes and regulations that drive American companies and businesses overseas," Pataki said. "We have the worst taxes on corporations in the world."
The former governor said the United States needs to enact regulations and taxes to build jobs here, not in Mexico or elsewhere overseas.
"But he's wrong about the millions of Mexicans who are here to build a better life," said Pataki. "They came here the same reason my grandparents did, to build a better life for their children and families. Sure there are criminal elements and drug dealers.
"There are always some criminal elements. But it's not 'some' Mexicans who are good people. The vast majority are good people and are helping making this country better."
Meanwhile, Pataki said he is not concerned about the numerous people entering the GOP presidential race, even governors and former governors like himself.
"My answer to that is very simple; take a look at the record," said Pataki, adding that he is willing to compare his record as governor of New York for 12 years to that of any other governor.
"But it's not just about what you did. It's about your vision, and I believe in my vision to bring Americans together and be strong against terrorists, and take our country back for the people instead of the powerful elites in Washington," Pataki said. "I know I can do that."
Pataki also said that he is not worried about his own current low standing in most polls, as November 2016 is still a long way away.
"You stick it out and believe in your vision for America," he said. "It reminds me about when I ran for governor of New York the first time — I was nowhere. People were saying, 'Who is this guy? Can't the Republicans come up with somebody better to run against Mario Cuomo?'
"It's not where you start, it's where you finish."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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