As Republicans continue to make historic gains among Hispanics across the United States, particularly in Florida, Democrats have struggled to find a counter-narrative that could help stem the loss of a demographic key to their electoral success.
An MSNBC opinion piece penned by columnist Julio Ricardo Varela attempted to explain the phenomenon. Still, Valera couldn’t resist taking shots at Hispanic legislators such as freshman Representative Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fl.
The opinion piece, titled “Most Latino Congress ever is more progressive — and more MAGA,” was initially published with a different headline: “Opinion: A MAGA Latina House member is not as shocking as you’d think,” and featured a photo of Luna.
.@julito77: The most Latino Congress ever is more progressive — and more MAGA. https://t.co/gOv57qlb59
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) January 7, 2023
Varela concedes that Luna’s election victory is significant, but goes on to argue that journalists should overlook it because she is part of a movement that “demonizes” Mexicans.
“Though Luna’s ascension to the House of Representatives is certainly newsworthy, it’s important that we journalists avoid placing too much emphasis on a representative of Mexican descent who’s signed on to a political movement that began with the demonization of Mexicans.”
In an attempt to smear Luna as a racist, Varela attacks her association with Turning Point USA, which he, without evidence, says is a “MAGA white supremacist cult”.
U.S. Rep @realannapaulina says @MSNBC (@julito77) is "pushing a twisted lie."@julito77 says Luna has worked with what he calls a “MAGA white supremacist cult – Turning Point USA' @TPUSA @charliekirk11 among other claims.
MORE: https://t.co/GHejFpVpQb
— Amber Jo Cooper (@AmberJoCooper) January 9, 2023
Varela described Luna as the “Latina version of Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., Luna, according to a summary of her career in the Tampa Bay Times”
He also said that she “Followed the MAGA playbook to gain political fame. She has ties to chief Kevin McCarthy opponent, Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., and has worked with what I consider to be a MAGA white supremacist cult: Turning Point USA.”
Luna did not take kindly to Varela’s opinion piece, saying that she was “tired’ of left-wing media focusing on her race.
“Wow. @MSNBC is really trying to paint me as a white supremacist? Honestly, I’m pretty sick of left-leaning media focusing so much on my race. It’s sad to see how triggered the left is over the fact that I’m conservative,” Luna responded on Twitter.
Wow. @MSNBC is really trying to paint me as a white supremacist? Honestly I’m pretty sick of left leaning media focusing so much on my race. It’s sad to see how triggered the left is over the fact that I’m conservative.
— Anna Paulina Luna (@VoteAPL) January 8, 2023
In a follow-up tweet, Luna lamented that the left targets minority conservatives and pointed out that the media was hypocritical in considering former President Barack Obama to be black but questioning her status as Hispanic.
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Obama was half white. Yet they said he was the first black President. I’m half white so that makes me not “Hispanic enough” @MSNBC ? It’s pathetic to see how much the left harasses minority conservatives. https://t.co/XHTZ8GwLJy
— Anna Paulina Luna (@VoteAPL) January 8, 2023
Luna has received additional scrutiny over the past two weeks as she was one of twenty Republican Representatives who voted against Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Ca, in a historic event that was without precedent since before the Civil War.
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