During CNN’s Election Night coverage on Tuesday, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) stated that “I think we need to move a little more in the middle, and I think that that is something we need to learn from tonight” and “where you’re seeing them go way too far, going after people who have no criminal history, that have been here for decades, that are contributing to society, they’re paying taxes, they have American citizen children, I think that’s going to hurt and backfire” and Republicans also need to message better on what they have gotten done.
Malliotakis said, “The president did secure the border and he is deporting the criminals. But the issue, I believe, with the Latino vote — and somebody who’s half Hispanic and also a member of the Republican Hispanic Caucus, we’ve been sounding the alarm that we need to make sure that we’re focused on the criminals, not people who have been here a long time, have American citizens as children.”
Host Anderson Cooper cut in to say that Trump said that he defines criminals as anyone in the country illegally, and asked, “he ran on the worst of the worst, and there was a lot of support for that. Do you think some of that has eroded because some of the images you see of mothers being ripped away from children?”
Malliotakis responded, “I think that the pendulum cannot go too far, or else you’re going to lose that Hispanic vote. I think that’s exactly what you’re seeing happening, perhaps, tonight. I think you need to be reasonable, focus on the people who are here that are gang members, that are drug traffickers, the people — by the way, … New York City, 16,000 crimes committed where the individuals traced back to the migrant shelter, none of that’s happening anymore in New York City because of President Trump. He’s deporting those individuals, those shelters are closing, and that’s good. But where you’re seeing them go way too far, going after people who have no criminal history, that have been here for decades, that are contributing to society, they’re paying taxes, they have American citizen children, I think that’s going to hurt and backfire –.”
Later, Cooper asked, “Do you think this is, Congresswoman, a repudiation across the board?”
Malliotakis answered, “Well, I think first of all, again, some of these issues have been taken off the table because the president did secure the border, you are seeing inflation come down, interest rates have been coming down. But with that said, I do agree that Republicans need to take note of what happens tonight, because I always have said that the pendulum went so far to the left under Joe Biden, people did not like the open borders, they didn’t like 9% inflation. And now the pendulum has swung to the right. They don’t want to see it move so far to the right. I think we need to move a little more in the middle, and I think that that is something we need to learn from tonight and make sure the messaging of what we have accomplished, that not only do we secure the border, but that we actually delivered tax cuts for seniors, for middle class families, for working Americans, and people will see that benefit next year when they file their tax return.” She also criticized Democratic energy policies on the issue of affordability.
Earlier, Malliotakis also stated that federal workers in Virginia are likely unhappy with the Trump administration, New Jersey will be more telling than Virginia, and the fact that New Jersey is close is a good sign for Republicans.
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
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