Thursday, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka released a video calling unspecified Republican candidates “hateful and racist” for their immigration policies.

Trumka said, “Hi, I’m Rich Trumka, president of the AFL-CIO. In the last several weeks, the subject of immigrants living and working in the U.S. has become a major part of the political debate. A very ugly and dangerous part. Many Republican presidential candidates are expressing views and offering proposals that are nothing short of un-American. These Republican candidates that all want to run our country have made a point of attacking and insulting Latinos and scapegoating all immigrants.”

He continued, “Pundits can evaluate the political meaning if they want, but my view is very plain. These are hateful and racist viewpoints. They are not accidents. They are intended to demean and divide. There are no codes or hidden messages here. These candidates are telling us that they believe that some people are superior and others are inferior, and they intend to govern our county on that basis. This is the politics of fear and division and it’s on a entirely new level.”

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