Republican Party launches weekly social media campaign aimed at Latinos
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The GOP is trying to connect with Latinos through social media.
The Republican National Committee announced Tuesday that it's launching a new social media campaign in an effort to communicate directly with Latinos – an increasingly important electorate that is expected to play a major role in several battleground states in the presidential election.
The RNC will be releasing a video each week on a different topic, such as immigration, taxes, education and the economy.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The first video addresses terrorism, and features Helen Aguirre-Ferre, the RNC’s director of Hispanic communications, saying that President Barack Obama has had ineffective responses to overseas threats which have allowed terrorism to grow.
“Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton's Iran deal propped up our enemies and alienated allies,” Aguirre-Ferre says in the video. “Obama and Clinton emboldened Iran, a state sponsor of terrorism, paid them a secret ransom of $400 million and left the world less safe than ever, with Benghazi, Egypt, Iran, Syria, Libya, Boko Haram. The list is too long.”
Aguirre-Ferre then says that, if elected, GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump will make the United States more secure.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“Donald Trump wants the U.S. to lead and be respected,” she said. “Peace through strength. Yes, I am for Trump.”
The weekly videos will be in both English and Spanish and will feature different Republicans, according to an RNC press release.
“As we at the RNC continue to deepen our commitment to engaging with the Hispanic community, we are expanding our efforts in social media to generate greater conversation and understanding of what the Republican Party stands for,” RNC Chairman Reince Priebus said in the release.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“This new video makes clear the threat of radical Islamic terrorism has never been more present, but Hillary Clinton is committing to the same failed strategy of leading from behind which has made our country less safe and our allies more vulnerable," Priebus added. "Donald Trump is the only candidate embracing a peace-through-strength approach that will protect Americans from the threat of terrorism.”
The Republican Party is under pressure to more aggressively reach out to Latinos, many of whom feel alienated from Trump because of remarks he has made about Mexicans and immigrants as well as hardline positions on deportation and immigration.
A 2012 post-election autopsy by the RNC concluded that the party needed to tone down its rhetoric on immigration and be more diligent about trying to connect with Latinos and other minority groups.
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