CNN Newsroom host Jim Acosta and senior political commentator and occasionally co-host of The View Ana Navarro sought on Friday to explain the “disconnect” between former President Donald Trump’s “rhetoric… about migrants” and minority support for him. Navarro claimed such voters have “a very stupid attitude” and suggested they are on a doomed mission to appease racists who shoot up Walmarts.

Acosta took it for granted that a disconnect exists, “I mean, you and I've talked about this many times about his rhetoric, the rhetoric he uses to talk about migrants and so on and I just have to ask you, Ana, I mean, when you look at the poll numbers and you see, if you break out the demographics, Trump is doing better among Latinos. He is doing better among African American voters and it's certainly is a threat to the president's reelection campaign. Is there a disc— I mean what do you make of this disconnect.”

 

 

Navarro rattled off a number of things, starting with:

I think America has a little bit of amnesia when it comes to Donald Trump and frankly, being in a courtroom for the last 20 days, I think, has helped him because he's not been out in rallies saying the stupid stuff he says and the incendiary, outrageous things he says on a daily basis. We've been focusing on Michael Cohen, we’ve been focusing on Stormy Daniels. We haven't been focusing on the things that Donald Trump says. Another thing is, I think at this point in 2024, this is kinda baked in, people already know the guy’s a misogynist, they already know he's a racist, they already know he says divisive things and they seem not to take him literally or seriously. They think it’s, kind of, part of a clown act, entertainment.”

She also claimed, “this is the truth and you and I know this as Latinos, there are some Latino immigrants who forget they came here as immigrants and who want to shut the door behind them, and who think being anti-immigrant somehow is going to make them pass as more American, pass as whatever.”

Navarro kept rolling, “And that's a very stupid attitude to have because what folks don’t realize is that when the guy drives thousands of miles to go hunt down Latinos in a Walmart in Texas. He doesn't care when you came here he doesn't care what your accent is, what he's looking for is “Does it look like me, does it sound like?” That's what he's looking for. So, you know, when people are anti-something, they're not asking for your papers, they're just anti-that group.”

While decent people may consider it outrageous that Navarro appeared to put Trump voters into boxes of either racists or self-haters who are trying to appease racists, Acosta was not going to bring sanity to the conversation. Instead, the anchor agreed, muttering “right” and “yeah” as Navarro rambled.

Here is a transcript for the May 24 show:

CNN Newsroom with Jim Acosta

5/24/2024

10:26 AM ET

JIM ACOSTA: I mean, you and I've talked about this many times about his rhetoric, the rhetoric he uses to talk about migrants and so on and I just have to ask you, Ana, I mean, when you look at the poll numbers and you see, if you break out the demographics, Trump is doing better among Latinos. He is doing better among African American voters and it's certainly is a threat to the president's reelection campaign. Is there a disc— I mean what do you make of this disconnect.”

ANA NAVARRO: Well, a few things. One is I think America has a little bit of amnesia when it comes to Donald Trump and frankly being in a courtroom for the last 20 days, I think, has helped him because he's not been out in rallies saying the stupid stuff he says and the incendiary, outrageous things he says on a daily basis. We've been focusing on Michael Cohen, we’ve been focusing on Stormy Daniels. We haven't been focusing on the things that Donald Trump says. Another thing is, I think at this point in 2024, this is kinda baked in, people already know the guy’s a misogynist, they already know he's a racist, they already know he says divisive things and they seem not to take him literally or seriously.

They think it’s, kind of, part of a clown act, entertainment and then the third thing, Jim, and this is the truth and you and I know this as Latinos, there are some Latino immigrants who forget they came here as immigrants and who want to shut the door behind them and, who think being anti-immigrant somehow is going to make them pass as more American, pass as whatever.

And that's a very stupid attitude to have because what folks don’t realize is that when the guy drives thousands of miles to go hunt down Latinos in a Walmart in Texas. He doesn't care when you came here he doesn't care—

ACOSTA: Right.

NAVARRO: -- what your accent is, what he's looking for is “Does it look like me, does it sound like?” That's what he's looking for.

ACOSTA: Yeah.

NAVARRO: So, you know, when people are anti-something, they're not asking for your papers, they're just anti-that group.