Donald Trump Celebrates Cinco De Mayo With Taco Bowl, Provokes Social Media
U.S. presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump celebrated Cinco de Mayo on Thursday, May 5, by enjoying a taco bowl at his desk and tweeting a photo of it with the caption "I love Hispanics," a gesture that riled many on social media.
Trump shared the photo of himself smiling widely over a sour cream-covered taco bowl on Facebook and Twitter, along with a special message to the Hispanic community.
"Happy #CincoDeMayo! The best taco bowls are made in Trump Tower Grill. I love Hispanics!" he wrote.
Cinco de Mayo is an annual celebration commemorating the Mexican Army's victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla in 1862.
According to Yahoo! News, Trump's office confirmed that the picture was taken on Thursday. In the photo, the mogul is seen using a copy of that day's New York Times as a place mat while he ate his taco bowl.
From the very beginning of his presidential campaign, Trump has struggled to gain ground in the Latino community. In 2015, he faced accusations of racism after making various comments regarding immigration from Mexico. The Republican presidential candidate's statements accusing Mexico of sending drug runners and rapists across the U.S. border and his vow to deport all illegal immigrants have earned the ire of many.
Trump also previously said that he would erect a massive wall along the U.S.-Mexico border and that Mexico would have to pay for it.
It thus comes as no surprise that many were angered and/or baffled by Trump's declaration of "love" for Hispanics.
Shortly after Trump tweeted his taco bowl photo, Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton tweeted a reaction, writing, "'I love Hispanics!' —Trump, 52 minutes ago. 'They're gonna be deported.' —Trump, yesterday."
"Now officially waiting for a photo of Trump eating some Church's Chicken (or Bojangles) with a thumbs up and a 'I love the blacks!'" Slate chief political correspondent Jamelle Bouie tweeted.