America
Donald Trump predicts win despite controversial remarks
Washington, July 12
Real-estate magnate
and TV personality Donald Trump promises he will win the Hispanic vote
to become the Republican candidate and then the elected president of the
US, despite his controversial remarks about Mexican immigrants.
Trump
made that prediction at a press conference on Saturday in Los Angeles,
where he again defended his opinion about the harm undocumented
immigrants are doing to the US, the daily Los Angeles Times reported.
"When
it's all said and done, I will win the Hispanic vote. I will win the
Hispanic vote because I'm going to create jobs. I'm going to take them
away from China," Trump said.
The Republican hopeful has been
widely censured for his comments last June 16 when he announced his run
for the presidency and at the same time harshly criticised Mexican
immigrants and proposed building a "great wall on our southern border".
"When
Mexico sends its people, they're not sending their best... They're
sending people that have lots of problems, and they're bringing those
problems to us. They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're
rapists. And some, I assume, are good people!" the magnate said as he
launched his campaign.
On Saturday, the billionaire businessman
backed his stand by surrounded himself with supporters who said they had
lost loved ones in crimes and traffic accidents involving undocumented
immigrants.
"People came into the country illegally and killed
their children. The illegals come in and the illegals kill their
children," Trump told the press conference.
The magnate added
that other countries like Mexico are "sending criminals to us and we're
putting those criminals in jails, often times after they've hurt
somebody or killed somebody".
About 150 protestors gathered
outside the building where Trump was speaking to blast his remarks,
while a smaller group of his sympathisers were also on hand holding up
posters that said "Trump tells the truth," according to the Angeleno
daily.
Trump's statements have lost him several contracts,
including those with TV networks Univision, ESPN and NBC, the Macy's
department store chain, Spanish chef Jose Andres and car-race organiser
NASCAR.
Republican hopefuls for the US presidency who have
distanced themselves from Trump's comments include Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio
and Rick Perry.