We all know Donald Trump LOVES walls, but this one won’t make him too happy. Yes, a wall is going up outside the Trump International Las Vegas hotel this morning.
The Culinary Union, long a Trump antagonist in Vegas, is going to “build” a wall of taco trucks outside Trump’s hotel, just a couple miles from the final presidential debate tonight. Yvanna Cancela, the political director for the majority Latino and predominantly immigrant union said,
“We’re reminding Mr. Trump that immigrant workers here and across the country will be watching the debate and voting in November.“
The union will be joined by American Bridge, Latino Victory Project, PLAN Action, iAmerica Action, Center for Community Change Action, For Our Future, and 50 immigrant advocacy activists from Los Angeles and feature speakers like Democrat Ruben Kihuen, who is running to represent the 4th Congressional District in the House.
The Culinary Union has held 10 rallies outside Trump’s hotel since workers voted to unionize and won last December. They argue that Trump is illegally refusing to bargain with them. Kihuen told BuzzFeed News.
“We’re protesting Donald Trump’s hotel here in Vegas, where a majority of workers voted to unionize, and shamefully Trump has failed to sit down at the table with them. As he has demonized Hispanics, women, veterans, and the disabled, we will send him and those who supported him like my opponent Congressman Cresent Hardy a message that we’re here and we vote.”
The Culinary Union and other groups have also worked to naturalize immigrants who want to vote against Trump in November, including some of his hotel workers.
Taco trucks, featuring perennially sky-high approval ratings, were dragged into the 2016 race by a Hispanic Trump surrogate who argued on MSNBC that Latino culture is very dominant, warning that eventually there would be taco trucks on every corner.
But the Trump campaign spun the protest and say they welcome the delicious barrier. Senior Trump adviser and Hispanic outreach director A.J. Delgado said,
“I never, EVER turn down a chance to eat some good tacos so I say ‘thanks’ for setting up shop right outside!”
(Top photo, Roger Vogel; via BuzzFeed)