According to former Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria, Donald Trump’s June 16 comments regarding illegal immigration liken him to Adolf Hitler.
Speaking at an event for the National Association of Latino Independent Producers this week, the 40-year-old Mexican-American actress and activist said the Republican presidential contender’s immigration comments caught the attention of all Hispanic people.
She also said she has refused to respond to them until now, because she has tried to avoid contributing to their “emotional poison.”
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Longoria said Trump’s remarks about securing the border with Mexico, particularly his comments regarding immigrant rapes and other crimes, warrant a comparison to the former dictator of Nazi Germany, who ordered the murders of roughly 11 million civilians before and during World War II.
“What I think he doesn’t understand and what people don’t understand is words create emotional poison…Hitler moved a nation with words, just words,” the actress said. “So you have to expect this backlash. If you say something like that, as he has said, you must expect a backlash.”
Longoria also said Trump’s speech “struck a cord within our community that touched our emotions so deep that I don’t want to contribute to that poison being spread.”
While discussing international trade and immigration during his June 16 presidential announcement, Trump ruffled feathers for saying the U.S. has no way of knowing what kind of people are crossing the border.
“When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best… They’re sending people who have lots of problems,” Trump said. “They’re bringing drugs, they’re bringing crime, they’re rapists, and some, I assume, are good people.”
The business magnate has since had his business relationships with NBC, Univision and Macy’s severed over the speech, but has refused to walk back the comments.
He is now suing Univision for $500 million and has publicly flirted with filing a similar suit against NBC.
“I have great respect for Mexico and love for the Mexican people and their tremendous spirit,” Trump said after filing the Univision suit. “However, their leaders and trade negotiators are far smarter than those representing the United States, and our citizens and economy are suffering greatly as a result.
He added: “We have to remedy the situation and do it fast.”
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