The chairman of Univision pressured Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign to attack Donald Trump more fiercely on immigration, according to a new report.
Haim Saban reached out to Clinton’s camp last year after Trump said some illegal immigrants from Mexico are “drug dealers” and “rapists” during his campaign launch, The Washington Post said Monday.
{mosads}“Haim thinks we are under reacting to Trump/Hispanics,” Clinton campaign manager John Podesta allegedly wrote to top campaign aides after speaking with Saban, according to hacked emails recently posted by WikiLeaks. “[He] thinks we can get something by standing up for Latinos or attacking R’s for not condemning.”
Huma Abedin, the Clinton campaign’s vice chairwoman, said in a separate message Saban had also made similar overtures to her.
“If Haim is raising it, it means he’s hearing it from his Univision colleagues,” she said of Saban, who has given millions to the pro-Clinton super PAC Priorities USA.
“Haim is right – we should be jamming this all the time,” Clinton communications director Jennifer Palmieri said in another message, looping in her deputies. “Can we think about what else we can do? Issue a broader challenge?”
The Washington Post said Saban and his wife have donated $10 million to a pro-Clinton super PAC this year.
Saban on Monday said his support for Clinton does not conflict with his role leading the most watched Spanish-language television network.
“As an immigrant myself, I am appalled by Mr. Trump’s disturbing, un-American and non-inclusive stance,” he said in a statement, according to the Post.
“I’ve been a supporter of Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party long before my affiliation with Univision, and one thing has nothing to do with the other,” added Saban, who grew up in Israel.
The president of Univision News, meanwhile, on Monday said the organization is independent from Univision Communications, its parent company.
“Mr. Saban has always respected that independence and has never tried to get involved or made any requests to our news division,” Daniel Coronell said in a statement.
Trump is now the Republican presidential nominee, following his controversial campaign launch at Trump Tower in New York City last year.
Clinton, the Democratic presidential nominee, leads Trump by about 6 points nationwide, according to the latest RealClearPolitics average of polls.