Republican Texas Rep. Mayra Flores shrugged off first lady Jill Biden’s apology for her “tacos” remark in a Monday speech, saying the Biden administration does not see Hispanics as “Americans.”
Flores said Wednesday the Biden administration is attempting to appeal to and win the vote of the Hispanic and Latino communities by handing out “tacos and playing Latin music.”
“Yeah, right. They don’t see us as Americans,” Flores told “America’s Newsroom” Wednesday. “They see us as tacos. That’s exactly how they see us. And we’re proud Americans, and they only are doing this to get our vote, and they think that by giving us tacos and playing Latin music that that’s all it’s going to take for us to vote for them in November.”
Biden faced backlash for saying Hispanic Americans are as “unique” as “breakfast tacos” and as “distinct” as “bodegas.” Her press secretary, Michael LaRosa, said she “apologizes that her words conveyed anything but pure admiration and love for the Latino community.”
Flores added that the communities want the economy to improve and inflation to come down.
“It’s going to take a lot more than that,” Flores continued. “We want gas, rent and groceries to come down. We want more money in our pockets and they’re only making our lives more miserable.”
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 9.1% over the past 12 months, higher than economists had initially predicted. Several polls found the economy is the top political issue among Hispanic voters and have overwhelmingly disapproved of President Joe Biden’s job performance. (RELATED: POLL: Democrats And Republicans Hold Equal Support Among Hispanic Voters)
A recent New York Times/Siena poll found that 63% of Hispanics disapprove of the president and 33% approve. The poll surveyed 849 voters between July 5-7 by calling phones with a 4.1% margin of error.
A Quinnipiac poll released in April found that 26% of Hispanics approved of the president, while 31% of white and 63% of black respondents gave their approval. The poll surveyed 1,412 adults by calling landline and cell phone numbers between April 7-11 with a 2.6 margin of error.
Flores won her seat to represent Texas’ 34th District in a special election held June 14. Democrats have historically dominated that district.