Ramiro González, a Cuban-born resident of Tampa, Florida, posed challenging questions to Donald Trump during a Hispanic voter forum organized by Univision this Wednesday in Miami. The 56-year-old Cuban American, who works in the construction industry, directly told the former president that he wanted to give him another chance to earn his vote.
However, González expressed significant reservations about Trump's leadership, particularly referencing the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the fact that several people close to Trump during his administration no longer support him. "Your actions or lack of action during the final years of your presidency were very concerning to me, especially on January 6," González remarked, speaking fluently in English.
González questioned why there was such a delay in taking action while mobs were assaulting the Capitol. He then addressed a second point: COVID-19, stating that "more lives could have been saved with better action." For his third point, González noted Trump's loss of support, even among those closest to him, citing the example of former Vice President Mike Pence.
Responding with a confident tone, the Republican candidate claimed that 97 percent of those who worked with him still back him. "The people who don't support me are very few, but if someone doesn't support me, they get a lot of publicity," Trump asserted. "When people don't do their job well, I fire them, and if they speak negatively about me, it doesn't matter," he added.
Trump remained silent on the COVID-19 issue but did share his views on the Capitol invasion. He controversially described it as a "day of love" for many of his supporters and defended the protestors, suggesting they came to Washington because of the election results, not because of him. He added that he had urged them to act "peacefully and patriotically."
Regarding mistakes made during his own administration, Trump admitted appointing people he would not choose again. "Now I have more experience; I know the good, the bad, the foolish," he commented, emphasizing that one of his priorities would be surrounding himself with a more efficient team if he returned to the White House.
"Now it's a different election. All I want is an honest election. We need borders and honest elections. If not, this isn't going to work," Trump stated. He seized the opportunity to attack Joe Biden, labeling his administration as the "worst in U.S. history," while criticizing the border management as a "disaster." He went on to highlight his own achievements, such as having built the best economy ever, rebuilding the military, and defeating ISIS.
"Overall, we're leading in the polls, doing very well with Hispanics. Basically, doing well with all groups," he noted. "I hope I have your vote, it seems like maybe not, but that's okay too," he concluded.