Latinos for Trump President Bianca Gracia stunned White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt during a Friday briefing when she called for a “siesta fiesta” on the South Lawn.
The White House postponed an event to commemorate National Hispanic Heritage Month due to the government shutdown on Wednesday.
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During Friday’s press briefing, Gracia enthusiastically echoed the false claim from President Donald Trump and his allies that the shutdown occurred because Democrats want to give free health care to undocumented immigrants.
“This week, the Democrats have chosen illegals over hardworking Hispanic Americans during Hispanic Heritage Month, causing the White House to cancel the celebration with the president,” Gracia said.
She then asked Leavitt if Trump is “open to letting the Hispanics, who overwhelmingly voted for him, have their own siesta fiesta in the White House lawn.”
Trump made large gains with Hispanic voters in 2024, but they did not “overwhelmingly” vote for him, as Gracia claimed. According to the Pew Research Center, Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris still won more of their votes.
“We don’t need fancy-shmancy, right?” Gracia told Leavitt. “You can give us the backyard, and we’ll fill it all in and have our own fiesta. Is the president open to that?”
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Surprised, Leavitt clarified she had never met Gracia, nor was she aware that the Latinos for Trump president was going to ask that question in the first place, but she welcomed her to the briefing room.Â
“I love your energy,” Leavitt told Gracia. “I can’t personally unilaterally promise the South Lawn grounds; we have some construction going on out there.”
The press secretary then joined Gracia in taking a dig at Democrats, stating that when they “vote to reopen the government, that event will be back in the planning stages.”
