Comedian Paul Rodriguez (pictured above right) says he has received death threats for publicly supporting President Donald Trump.
“If you disagree with me, it doesn’t mean we can’t be friends,” the Mexican-born comedian told TMZ recently outside of the Laugh Factory in Los Angeles.
“I received some cowards threatening my life. It’s sad that people think like that when you disagree with their politics.”
Rodriguez previously gave an interview to TMZ that earned him a lot of blowback from leftists.
In the exchange, Rodriguez said he disagreed with President Trump’s style — but he believed in protecting this country’s borders.
“You can’t let everyone in,” he said.
Rodriguez also said he is a “closeted Republican” in the interview.
Despite backlash and the death threats, the comedian refuses to back down.
“Even as I did that interview I knew it’d have repercussions … but I stand by what I say,” Rodriguez said.
The 63-year-old comedian then praised Trump on another front.
Rodriguez, who heads the California Latino Water Coalition, said he begged the Obama administration for eight years to tackle water supply issues in California, but nothing was addressed until Trump took office.
“We asked Mr. Obama for eight years to come and see about our problem. He didn’t. Donald Trump opened up the water pipes six months ago. I’m not going to be grateful about that?” said Rodriguez.
In October, the president ordered reviews on major water delivery systems in California to be expedited, which helped people get easier access to water in the state.
Rodriguez is best known for his stand-up comedy. He is one of the “Latin Comedy Kings,” recognized as such in the stand-up 2002 comedy film “The Original Latin Kings of Comedy.”
He has also acted in such films as Clint Eastwood’s “Blood Work” and Michael Mann’s “Ali.”
On television, the comedian has appeared in everything from “King of the Hill” to “Dora the Explorer.”
It’s sad to see someone like Rodriguez face repercussions for simply expressing a personal opinion, but it’s even sadder that he knew those fierce repercussions would arrive before he even opened his mouth.
The comedian has very practical reasons for praising the president on certain issues; he even criticizes Trump on style.
But it shows how far political and cultural debates have fallen when people will vilify Rodriguez simply for the fact that he has some positive things to say about Trump’s actions as president.
Check out Rodriguez’s most recent interview about his support for President Donald Trump below:
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