Farmers and Latinos for Trump | Leyla Santiago

Leyla Santiago, a proud Latina with Puerto Rican roots, lives in Trump turf, as she calls it. “My neighbor has a big sign that says Farmers for Trump. There's a huge sign downtown that basically says F@#k Joe Biden right across from the church, by the way.” For many Americans, the rural countryside is the 'real' America. Trump and his team have been hugely successful in crafting the image of rural life as something that is pure America; untainted and disrespected by outsiders, liberals and urbanites. Yard signs are always a surefire way to gauge political persuasion in a community. Leyla’s green leafy nook of the country, which is forty-five minutes away from the nearest store, wears its pro-Trump heart on front yards. “I think there is very much this us versus them mentality,” she says. “It's two Americas and one that is not easily understood. And so I think a lot of farmers that are for Trump will tell you that they want to vote for someone that's a little out of the box, somebody that understands them because they do feel that us versus them.” Latinos for Trump Trump has promised to be tough on immigration. It might just be the one issue that gives him the presidency for the second time and it could well be that Latino men in swing states are the ones to give it to him, even though Trump has used divisive language to describe South Americans coming across the southern border. I asked Leyla why many Latino men have moved right and support Trump’s hardline threats on immigration even though he’s used racist tropes to describe them? As a Latina woman with Puerto Rican background, Leyla says the Latino communities in the USA are a blend of different people in different places. “When he says they're coming over the border and they're not bringing their best, they're bringing the rapists and the criminals. Cubans don't consider themselves Mexicans, Puerto Ricans don't consider themselves Mexicans. And so it's a little bit like, yeah, he's talking about Latinos, but he's not talking about me.” Crucially, she says the Republicans messaging on the economy and inflation really connects to many Latinos who have a historical and personal dislike of leftist dictatorships. “They really targeted those Cubans in Miami by putting out things like Biden is a socialist, right? You say socialism to a Venezuelan or a Cuban that has a voting registration card in the US and those are fighting words, right? Like that is fear.” Chapters 00:00 Understanding Rural America: Yard signs in Virginia 02:49 The Politics of Identity and Belonging 06:06 The Role of Media and Journalism in Politics 08:59 Latino Voters: Shifting Allegiances and Perspectives 12:13 The Disconnect: Language, Identity, and Voting Behavior 14:57 Young Voters: The Key to the Future 18:11 The Evolution of Journalism Keywords Rural America, Politics, Identity, Latino Voters, Media, Journalism, Young Voters, Trump, Harris, Election 2024 http://www.searchingforamericapod.com   Got a great idea for an episode? Drop Robyn a message here with the subject line PODCAST IDEASubscribe to Robyn's Substack.Visit her website here.To book Robyn to speak at your event, get in touch here.More about Robyn's public speakingRobyn Curnow is a sought-after public speaker on what it takes to create positive leadership in complicated times. As a South African now living in the American South, Robyn is determined to bring a hopeful and light-hearted tone to all conversations. She reflects on her interviews with U.S. Presidents Bush, Clinton and Carter and First Lady Michelle Obama. She has impactful stories of working alongside Nobel Peace Prize Lauretes Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond TutuShe has delivered talks and hosted events around the Blue Economy in the Principality of Monaco where she introduced Prince Albert of Monaco and Prince William, Prince of Wales and French President Emmanuel Macron, the Lincoln Centre in New York, the Science Museum in London, the Swedish Royal Palace in Stockholm, the YPO annual conference in Cape Town, the United Nations, a Haaretz newspaper panel in Jerusalem, the Nantucket Yacht club and many more. She has recently worked with Prince Albert II Foundation in Monaco and Philadelphia, the Swedish royal family in Stockholm, Made by Dyslexia in London, the Red Cross of Georgia in Atlanta alongside Delta Airlines. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.