MSNBC’s Joy Reid, filling in for Chris Hayes, goes head-to-head with Steve Cortes, a Latino Trump supporter of Donald Trump, for using the term “illegals” to describe illegal immigrants.
“When it comes to the bedrock principles, I don’t disagree with him at all,” Cortes defended Trump on Thursday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s All In with Chris Hayes. “Those are twofold. Number one, we have to secure our border. Number two, there can be no citizenship for illegals. You cannot reward criminality.”
Reid stopped him right there.
“Hold on a second,” the MSNBCer said.
“I’m going to stop you right there. You are Hispanic, Steve. Are you comfortable with that term, illegals? That is a pejorative to a lot of people. Why do you use that term?” Reid asked, not believing a Latino would use such a term.
“You know why, because words matter,” Cortes said.
“Yeah, they do,” Reid shot back.
“If you do something that is against the law, it’s illegal,” Cortes reminded Reid. “If you go into a store and you shoplift, you’re not an undocumented holder of a good, you’re a thief. If you come to the United States against the immigration laws of the United States, you’re not undocumented, You’re illegal. …