North Texas Republicans Share Differing Views Of President Trump's Legacy
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - On President Donald Trump's final full day in office, CBS 11 spoke with North Texas Republicans who feel differently about him and his legacy.
To Orlando Salazar and most Republicans, it's President Donald Trump's policies that will endure. "My support of the President more than anything is his policies."
Salazar, Vice-Chair for the Republican National Hispanic Assembly, the nation's second largest conservative Hispanic organization said, "In the hearts of minds of the people that supported him, he's going to be one of the greatest presidents we ever had. Because he kept his promises relative to what most Presidents do."
But former Republican State Representative Jason Villalba of Dallas hasn't supported the President, saying he didn't believe in the classic Republican ideology of smaller government and lower debt.
"What I said was that he would ultimately end up destroying the Republican Party. I think that that prediction has become accurate," said Villalba.
Salazar and the President's other supporters point to his foreign policy and domestic achievements.
"He shoved his finger in the eye of the Chinese. He finally stood up to them. He moved our embassy to Jerusalem. He put in conservative judges, like he said he would do. He brought back jobs," said Salazar.
Villalba said, "I think some of those are good examples of areas where he did do a good job."
But they disagree over whether President Trump's remarks are responsible for the rioting at the U.S. Capitol on January 6.
Salazar said, "His speech had nothing to do with inciting violence, people decided to behave the way they wanted to behave on their own."
Villalba said, "Will that eliminate his legacy? I think it will, I think the Congress is already impeached. And I think you're going to see the Senate, led by not only Democrats, but also Republicans, not only indict him, but convict him."
With Democrats back in the White House and controlling both chambers of Congress, Republicans nationally and in Texas are looking ahead to the work that needs to be done to win again.
Villalba said, "There's some soul searching that's going to have to be undertaken by Republicans. Who are we as a party? Are we going to be the party of Reagan? Are we going to be the party of Trump? I think the question."
Salazar said, "Build up the strength in our states, go back to our states and elect as many conservative politicians as we as we possibly can. People that believe not in Trump, but in the policies that he presented. There's nothing wrong with America first, and I like to say America first under God."
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