Donald Trump looked around and thanked him effusively from the stage. The Cuban-Americans who filled the American football stadium in Hialeah, a suburban town of modest houses, also congratulated him with applause. At the Trump rally last November, Kevin Cabrera was playing at home. This young Commissioner represents the residents of District 6 in Miami-Dade County, which includes the cities of Miami, Hialeah and Coral Gables, among others.
Cabrera was the ideologue and organizer of Trump's visit to Miami-Dade. The place was specially chosen. Hialeah is the mecca of working class Cuban exiles in Florida. There, 96% of the population is Latino, and a large majority adores the former Republican president. Son of Cubans who moved to Miami, Cabrera is a provocative spokesperson and Trump's main political supporter among Hispanic voters. In an extensive dialogue with LPO, he denies that the winner of the Iowa Caucus has an anti-immigrant speech, affirms that Joe Biden is senile, predicts the return of the MAGA leader to the White House and praises the Argentine President Javier Milei.
What is your conclusion from Trump's overwhelming victory in the Caucus?
It verified what we already knew. Trump is going to be our candidate. And all this witch hunt that they have deployed against him, be it the causes, the intentions to imprison him or remove him from the ballot, are not working. These are things that we have seen in Latin America, like when Nicolás Maduro eliminated MarÃa Corina Machado. President Biden wants to remove Trump from the ballot. But he won't be able to. Ordinary people are supporting him.
"Si las cosas se dan como parecen, el presidente va a ser de nuevo Donald Trump"
Is the Republican competition already defined in favor of Trump?
Practically every county supported him. Nikki Haley win by one more vote only in one of the 99 counties. Something never seen in history, in a race with several candidates. It's time for us to unite. Everyone already had their minutes of fame. And everything has its end. The coffee gets cold, the cigarettes go out and the campaigns end. The other candidates should unite and focus on our goal: winning the White House. They shouldn't follow this race knowing that South Carolina is winning and that he has 60% approval nationally. It's not really a contest anymore.
Should Nikki Haley decline her nomination now?
We know that she is going to be our candidate. Why to continue divided instead of united? Come together and start working together to defeat Biden. Trump is the only candidate in the history of the Republican Party who, in previous polls, appears to have won the majority of the Hispanic vote. Nobody did it before. George W. Bush came closest. Hispanics also see the injustice done with him. Since he launched his campaign in 2015, they have tried to destroy him, his family, and his businesses. In surveys, the intention of the African-American vote tripled compared to 2020.
Vivek Ramaswamy has already dropped out of the race, supports Trump and aspires to be his vice president. Do you think it's possible?
There are many different options for vice president. It is a very personal decision that he has to make with his team. Many times this is looked at depending on which state needs to be reinforced. There are multiple considerations and many people looking. Arkansas Governor, Sarah Elizabeth Huckabee Sanders, who worked with the president as press officer, could be. Or Congresswoman Elise Stefanik. There are many people. Because Trump won all categories in Iowa. Not only among evangelical Christians, but also among young people, women, those with and without formal education. The support is overwhelming.
Do you think that Trump will give DeSantis an important place?
Winning always gives the opportunity for others to join your movement. In Trump's case, the train is leaving the station, so if they want to get on, get on before the train leaves.
Ramaswamy se sube al carro del vencedor: "Trump ahora mismo es la única opción"
There are Republican leaders who continue to resist Trump's leadership. Do you think that 100% alignment is possible?
Nothing in life is 100%. 100% of Democrats do not support Joe Biden. The vast majority of Republicans support Trump and his agenda of putting America first. I hear it every day when I go to drink coffee in the morning. Whether independent or Democrat, you may not agree with some characteristics of President Trump's personality, but you do reject the injustice with the entire US government, with a case against him every month. Because they know that today it is him and tomorrow it could be you. It is not only Republicans who are supporting him, but independents and even Democrats who are insulting the injustices with him.
Do you expect a ruling from the national Supreme Court that will reverse the bans against Trump?
Yes, Democrats have paused the elimination of the ballot because they know that the Supreme Court is going to reverse it. They are waiting. But don't listen to me, I'm a Republican and I support him. David Axelrod, who was an adviser to Obama, said this is an absurd idea. That's not how you win. That shows me that they are terrified. They already saw that it doesn't work with causes, so they try to eliminate him from the ballot. That's not the way anyone should try to win. They should try to rely on the merits of his campaign and his administration. But they have none, everything is a failure and a fraud.
Will Biden be the Democratic candidate?
If he is alive. I imagine he will, but he looks weaker and weaker every day. My district is the one with the largest number of people over 65, and we have many centers for them to retire. I invite President Biden to leave. We can offer him a home here. We can find him a very nice room and he can have a nurse to take care of him 24 hours a day.
Do you think of an alternative candidate to Biden then?
I don't know. Their process, in my opinion, is not very democratic. They have super delegates who turn the internal situation at random, as happened with Obama and Hillary Clinton against Bernie Sanders. The process is not very open and I imagine they could change the candidate. But as of today I think it's going to be Biden.
Ignoring Biden's old age, the economy's numbers are not bad. Why is there social discomfort with the government?
Because his administration is a failure. Everything he touches, he turns it into a failure. The border, under President Trump, had historically low numbers of people crossing. He takes office and people cross saying that they were paying attention to what Biden said during the campaign, inviting them to the country. Now they say that perhaps they are willing to build the wall. Their ideas don't work.
But inflation seems controlled and there is no unemployment...
They are trying to control inflation, but it got out of control during their mandate. Because they put a lot of money into the economy and into the market, which was not necessary. Afghanistan was an embarrassment. They left millions of dollars worth of equipment that the Taliban have begun to use. He destroys everything he touches. People see that. And they see that he is not qualified to be president. I'm telling you it's almost elder abuse what they're doing to him. It's not mocking or sarcastic. You see him and he doesn't look good. He can't even find a way to get off the stage.
What solution do you see for the stalled negotiation in Congress regarding immigration reforms and support for Ukraine and Israel?
The most important thing is to secure the border. We have to look at this as if it were a leak in the roof. You can't repair the wall until you fix the hole in the ceiling. If not, water will start falling again and the wall will be ruined. That is the problem. We have to secure the border, ensure that people are not crossing easily. What other country in the world admits that? None! Mexico doesn't let them cross its border that way. People who cross from Central America to Mexico are not treated like we treat them here.
How do you secure the border?
We must provide the necessary resources. Not only build the wall, but also have the border guards necessary to secure it. We are spending I don't know how much money in Ukraine, but we can't solve the border. They are inconceivable things. We are giving billions of dollars to Ukraine to defend their border against Russia, but we are not defending ours. These are things that don't add up.
With more than 3 thousand kilometers of border and desperate people, the flow of migrants will always continue to exist, don't you think?
And I sympathize with those people. Not everyone is a bad person. But bad people can enter. People who want to ruin this country can enter. And at the end of the day, whether good or bad, there has to be law and order. There has to be a system for anyone who wants to enter this country. If we are not going to take care of the border, why have an airport to board a plane? Why have a passport? Why insure the car? Why have an alarm? Why have anything? If we don't have a border we are not a country. Having law and order on the border is what establishes a country.
Isn't withdrawing support for Ukraine a guarantee of giving the victory of the war to Vladimir Putin?
Trump has said that if he had been president, they wouldn't have done it. And I believe him. They see Biden as a person who is not very strong in a failed presidency. That's why they considered it was time, because that person totally doesn't know what they're doing. If the president had been Trump, the Russians wouldn't have done it. And if he were president now, he could negotiate and end that war. Everyone knows that he is a person of his word. If he says he's going to do something, he's going to do it. They warn that he is a president who is not playing like Biden, just like Obama, that when they drew a line, they put it in the sand. Today it was here and tomorrow it was there.
Has Trump escalated his anti-immigrant speech recently?
To begin with, his family, they are immigrants. Even his wife and her family. Trump is a pro-immigrant person, but a pro-legal immigrant. Let people come in an appropriate way. Let them follow the laws. Why have laws if we are not going to follow them?
Given the judicial persecution that you describe, will Trump seek revenge if he returns to the White House?
When he was president, he could have done that to Hillary Clinton. He had the opportunity to investigate her situation, that she had deleted 33,000 emails. But he didn't.
Why?
Because he moved our country forward. He wanted to improve our country and not focus on things from the past. They have done this because they are terrified that he might win again and are looking to destroy him, his family, his legacy and his businesses. It is a lack of respect.
Why is the Latino vote going to the Republican Party?
It's changing because Trump's policies are better for us. We Latinos see it. They give the opportunity to get ahead, to create a business, a family, to concrete the American dream of buying a house. Nothing is solved by giving things to people. We need law and order. We come from countries that do not have it. Everything is chaos. It depends on the dictator of the day. And Trump's policy is the opposite. That's what people are looking for. And you have seen that, for many years, the Democratic party used minorities and kept them barefoot and pregnant. Democrats want to keep those people in this situation: they need help from the government. They don't want them to get ahead. The left wants them to continue asking for help, to obtain the support of Latinos. The Republican Party looks at it differently.
How important will the Latino vote be in the presidential election?
Very important. It is the fastest growing group of voters in the United States.
Has Florida stopped being a swing state and is it already a Republican heritage?
When President Obama won in 2008, there were 780,000 more registered Democrats than Republicans. Today there are 600,000 more Republicans than Democrats. Because people are rejecting the failed ideas of the left and seeing that Trump and the Republican Party's policies are what work.
What will be the most compelling argument for voting: the situation of the economy and concern about the loss of democracy?
Democracy is in danger with people like Biden in power, who are trying to imprison and remove his political opponents from the ballot. I agree with past campaigns that have said "it's the economy!" At the end of the day, when people sit down to eat with their families and evaluate their finances and the well-being of their family, it is the economy. That's number one on most people's minds: whether your family is better off today or four years ago. And the answer is that families are worse off today under Biden than they were four years ago.
What influence will the debate on the right to abortion have in the campaign?
Democrats are trying to install it, but the Supreme Court has decided that each state can make that decision for itself. Our country was created under federalism. We are almost like 50 different countries that work together. But each State is different. Even Florida and Texas, two states governed by conservative Republicans, are different and have different ideas. We have to respect that we do not all think the same. That's the beautiful thing. The United States has 50 different democracy laboratories where they can test different ideas, see how they work, and define the best ones.
What do you criticize about the management of the mayor of Miami Dade County, Democrat Daniella Levine Cava?
In my opinion, the best government is one that gives money back to residents so they can make those decisions for themselves. I advocated reducing taxes by 3% for people who live in their own homes. If you live in your house, they can only raise you 3% annually, according to the Florida Constitution. So I advocated to reduce taxes by 3% so that this year you would pay the same as last year. For older people, this brings relief. Because their Social Security and pension are not rising at the same level as the cost of living. Unfortunately, the majority of the Commission did not agree with me. That's one of my criticisms: we should shrink government and put more money in taxpayers' pockets. Others think that the government knows how to use money best. I disagree with that philosophy.
And what do you criticize DeSantis as governor of Florida, a state with inflation and problems accessing housing?
The State has done a good job eliminating home insurance fraud. Many people fulfilled demands that were not really necessary. But they have to continue working to reduce the cost of insurance, which is something regulated by the State.
What do you think of DeSantis' fight with Disney World or educational reforms in schools?
They are state issues. It is something that citizens are going to say. I focus on trying to improve the daily lives of our residents, and the best way to do that is to put more money in their pockets. Our taxpayers know best how to use their money, not the government.
What do you think of the Obamacare health plan? Trump promised to review it and possibly deregister it.
Socialized health has never worked. In places like Canada you have to wait much longer than in the United States. Many Canadians come to the United States to see specialists, because there they have to wait three, four and even six months. That system is a failure. Free market will always be better, because it will have more competition and will be more efficient. I do not agree with any type of socialized medicine.
What is your assessment of Javier Milei's incipient management in Argentina?
With Milei, Argentina inspires me. After 30 years of a corrupt and disastrous system with Peronism, they are trying something different. I hope they give him the necessary time so that the necessary reforms can be implemented and Argentina begins to move forward. You cannot live with 200% annual inflation, it is inconceivable. Many times new blood and new ideas are needed, and that is what Mr. Milei brings to Argentina. I hope it works.
Do you see similarities between Milei and Trump?
President Trump wants to put America first and Milei wants to put Argentina first. In that sense they are similar. For many years, Peronists have put themselves first instead of putting the Argentine people first, so I hope that Milei's reforms work and he can improve that country, because the truth is that it needs it.
Translator: Bibiana Ruiz.
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La intimidad del almuerzo VIP de Miami donde Trump embolsó 3,5 millones con empresarios y polÃticos latinos
Trump premia a la generación ultraMAGA y designa a un latino de Miami como su embajador polÃtico en tierra de DeSantis
El trumpismo se declara enamorado de la ideologÃa de Milei pero sigue escéptico con su armado polÃtico
