Donald Trump is a bigot and a racist. At least we know where he stands. It's a courtesy that Congressman Mike Coffman (who is refusing to denounce Trump's candidacy) is not willing to grant Colorado voters.
For months, Coffman has dodged questions about Trump, claiming he wouldn't be the nominee or refusing to respond to a "hypothetical." Well, it's hypothetical no longer, yet Coffman still refuses to denounce Trump.
Of course Coffman's messaging on Trump is confusing. It was designed to be. Trump's candidacy puts him in an impossible position with Latino and immigrant voters in his Congressional district. If Coffman isn't supporting Trump as the Republican nominee, he should say so. It's a simple question. What's taking Coffman so long?
So while Mike Coffman flips and flops in the political winds of Donald Trump, one must look at his votes in Congress reflecting his positions on immigration.
During his four-terms in Washington, Coffman--more often than not--has aligned himself with anti-immigrant hardliners like Steve King and Louie Gohmert. These are members of Congress that most closely follow the xenophobic political philosophies of Tom Tancredo,
Colorado's notorious anti-immigrant extremist. In fact, at a 2010 Tea Party rally, Coffman introduced Tancredo and called him his "hero." Enough said.
Coffman and Tancredo agree on all major immigration issues of concern to and at odds with Latino and immigrant voters:
Both oppose a pathway to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants currently living in the United States,
Both called the Dream Act a "nightmare"
Both oppose DAPA and DACA, and,
Both support English-only ballots.
For many Latino and immigrant voters, this election cycle isn't just about politics. It's about the devastation of families. Trump has vowed to deport all undocumented immigrants living in the United States. And he promised to do that in his first 18-24 months in office with a "deportation force."
The election of Donald Trump is the single greatest threat our community has faced in recent American history. While Mike Coffman refuses to answer a simple question about where he stands on Trump, his record in Congress and the company he keeps appear to say everything we need to know.