Rita Moreno may be best known for her portrayal of Anita in the film version of West Side Story, and for her accomplishments in winning all four major awards for the performing arts, but she is also an outspoken advocate for civil rights.
At the recent Kennedy Center Honors event, Moreno was asked her opinion on Donald trump. The 83 year old entertainer did not mince words, according to a report in The Hill. In addition to saying that Trump is “more than a bit of a fool,” she also said that he “represents a certain lunatic fringe” and says “some really disastrously cruel and awful things.”
This is not the first time Moreno has spoken out against Trump. When Trump famously made racist remarks about Mexican immigrants, she was quoted as describing him as “a walking circus and… a walking shame as well.” She has called Trump “a child,” “a brat,” and “a vulgar, vulgar man.”
Reminded that Trump is currently leading in polls about Republican candidates, Moreno said she didn’t think he has any chance of winning. “Just because his numbers are going up doesn’t mean that all of the United States feels that way. People get fooled by these numbers.” Moreno believes that Trump doesn’t actually represent the United States.
A recent BBC post of the views of U.S. experts supports the idea that Trump may not be able to win, though his poll numbers continue to show him ahead of the pack of Republican candidates. The latest New York Times poll, while showing Trump leading among likely republican primary voters, found that “sixty-four percent of voters said they would be concerned or scared about what he would do if he became president.”
Moreno is one of many Latino leaders who deride Trump. The importance of the Hispanic vote in the upcoming presidential election brings this demographic into the political headlines.
There!; don`t mess with Anita.