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Trump Confident He Will Win Latino Voters Despite Calling Illegal Immigrants 'Rapists, Killers'

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com)  —  GOP presidential hopeful Donald Trump is confident he will win the Latino vote, despite recently referring to Mexican illegal immigrants as "rapists" and "killers."

Those comments had major corporations, including NBC, Macy's, Serta and Univision, cut ties with the outspoken billionaire.

He has refused to apologize for the remarks made in his June 16 campaign kickoff. In fact, he's doubled down on the comments, most recently suggesting immigrants were in this country spreading "tremendous infectious disease."

The city of New York said that it was reviewing all contracts with Trump.

Trump has also been dropped by PVH Corp., the makers of his clothing line who had a deal with him to run through 2018.

The PGA announced it will move the Grand Slam of Golf away from a Trump course. ESPN will look for a new venue to host the Celebrity Golf Classic in Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Unified School District on Wednesday said it will no longer be affiliated with the Trump National Golf Club over his "negative immigration comments."

Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim has pulled out of a project he and Trump were developing for OraTV.

All the controversy hasn't seemed to hurt Trump at the polls.

A CNN poll out Wednesday says Trump is in second place in the Republican field just a few points behind former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.

As CBS2 and KCAL9 reporter Dave Bryan reports, an interview Trump gave to CNN's Anderson Cooper is not likely to end the controversy over Trump's remarks.

Trump is also clearly not concerned about his comments.

"People love me," he told Cooper, "and you know what, I've been very successful. Everyone loves me."

On Wednesday, Trump stepped up his attacks on the Mexican government, saying it is purposely sending criminals across the border.

"I won't even think about anything [else] until I build a wall, an impenetrable wall, there will be nobody coming into this country illegally, that's No. 1. ... No. 2, I would get the ones who are criminals, drug dealers, and I would get the ones who are forced by the country of Mexico to come here, and those people would get out and they'd get out fast."

He added: "I will build a better wall, and I'll build it cheaper, and Mexico will pay for it."

In an interview Wednesday with NBC, Trump said he would get more Latino votes than even the Democratic candidate if he got the nomination.

"I have a great relationship with the Mexican people," he said. "I have have many people working for me, you can look at the job in Washington. I have many legal immigrants working for me, many of them come from Mexico. They love me; I love them. And I'll tell you something, if I get the nomination, I'll win the Latino vote. I will win it, because I'll create jobs."

Republican Consultant Reed Galen doesn't think Trump will get the nomination but sees that he will continue to be a force in the party.

"The gravitational force that he is because everyone will cover every word he says," Galen explains, "and that is something the other candidates would die for. And he gets it just by opening his mouth."

Galen adds: "Don't underestimate his impact. He's going to be on the debate stage in Cleveland next month and everyone will be wanting to know what he's going to say next and how he's going to interact with these candidates, which will be far more direct than they are probably used to."

In his network interviews Wednesday, Trump addressed the recent murder of a woman in San Francisco by an illegal immigrant from Mexico who was released from custody in another case instead of being handed over to ICE for deportation.

"This guy that killed a wonderful young woman in San Francisco," he said. "He went back to Mexico, and they forced him out. They force people into our country, and they are drug dealers and criminals of all kinds. We are taking Mexico's problems."

Bryan reports Trump is scheduled Thursday to address a rally in Arizona, a state where immigration remains a hot-button issue.

On Friday, Trump will be in southern California, where he plans to speak to a group of Hollywood conservatives in a closed-door event.

Some republicans worry that Trump's comments may cost the GOP crucial Latino votes in the 2016 presidential election, despite his claims of support to the contrary.

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