Americans Likely Care More About Sexual Assault Than Illegal Immigrants

Donald Trump and Billy Bush, l, in an Access Hollywood interview before “P-Gate.”

By Felicia J. Persaud

In light of Donald Trump’s hot mike debacle, aka ‘pussygate,’ the spotlight has been put squarely – as it should – on the issue of sexual assault and misogyny. And while the Republican Presidential candidate, who I now call ‘The P-Man,’  is trying earnestly to dismiss it as ‘locker room talk’ and instead turn the focus on bashing immigrants as criminals and terrorists, more and more people including women are rightfully speaking out about the bigger issue of sexual assault, sexual harassment and the objectifying of women.

The vile banter between Trump and Billy Bush, as captured on hot mike and released by the Washington Post, has forced many women to relive horrific memories of sexual assault and harassment. This as the harsh facts shows that one in five women will likely be sexually assaulted in her lifetime.

A new poll captures the real mess Trump and the GOP are in succinctly. Conducted after the now famous 2005 recording of Trump’s lewd comments, a new NBC poll has found that 63 percent of likely voters said they do not think the Republican nominee respects women.

Meanwhile, before the recording was made public, 64 percent of likely women voters said they did not think Trump respects women. After the recording was made public, 69 percent of women said they did not think Trump respects women, including 53 percent who said he does not respect women at all.

Which brings me back to the issue of voter support right now for legalizing the millions of undocumented immigrants in this country?

To show how out of touch the Republican Party is with the majority of the population, poll numbers actually show that support has risen to its highest level for legalizing the status of undocumented workers already living in the United States since the last election – 2008.

According to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey, 41 percent of Likely U.S. Voters now think legalizing the status of undocumented workers already here is more important than gaining control of the border – up from 34 percent in February.

And while Trump supporters are sticking by their man, polls also show their views on solving the problem of illegal immigration, is clearly out of step with most Americans. The Pew Research Center has found that an overwhelming 76 percent of Americans polled believe undocumented immigrants are as hard working as U.S. citizens, and 67 percent said they are no more likely than Americans to commit serious crimes while 61 percent oppose building a wall along the border with Mexico.

So while Trump and many within his base are quick to blame immigrants for everything – from crime, to terror to taking away jobs and taking over the country – the reality is that a significant voting bloc cares more about sexual assault, misogyny and respect for women than they do about hard working undocumented immigrants who keep the wheels of this country’s economy rolling.

Perhaps, this will truly sink in for Trump, Paul Ryan and crew after the results of the 2016 election are made public and the GOP is again forced to look at the ‘man in the mirror’ and the real issues that resulted in their historic loss. Because it is coming – and this one will be bigger and more unprecedented than it was in 2008!

The writer is CMO of Hard Beat Communications, which owns the brands News Americas Now, CaribPR Wire and Invest Caribbean Now.