Donald Trump’s campaign is attempting to carefully hone its immigration message, to tone down the overt nativism and even insist the Republican Party welcomes immigrants. Unfortunately, less-sophisticated fans of the party’s agenda don’t always get the memos in time. Legendary former Notre Dame football coach and ESPN commentator Lou Holtz spoke at the Republican National Coalition for Life today. Betsy Woodruff reports that the coach did not bother couching his beliefs about immigration policy in the language of border security or potential downward pressure on low-skilled wages. Instead, he gave this message to immigrants:
“I don’t want to become you. I don’t want to speak your language, I don’t want to celebrate your holidays, I sure as hell don’t want to cheer for your soccer team!”
According to Woodruff, the crowd “laughed and applauded.”
Speaking for myself, I personally don’t want to celebrate Holtz’s holidays, and I definitely don’t want to cheer for his football team. As for speaking his language, I’ve watched him on ESPN and it’s not clear he even has one:
But the thing about America is that different people can come here, observe different holidays, and enjoy different pastimes, and it doesn’t stop you from doing it the way you want. Immigrants can’t force Lou Holtz to watch soccer or celebrate Cinco de Mayo, or speak Spanish, or even to speak English.
