At GOP convention, ex-coach Lou Holtz says of immigrants: ‘I don’t want to become you’

Legendary retired Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz said Tuesday that immigrants coming into the U.S. made up “an invasion” and that they need to do a better job of assimilating, according to published reports.

Holtz, who supports Donald Trump, was speaking at a luncheon during the Republican National Convention in Cleveland.

“I don’t want to become you,” Holtz said of immigrants, according to the Daily Beast. “I don’t want to speak your language, I don’t want to celebrate your holidays, I sure as hell don’t want to cheer for your soccer team!”

According to the news outlet, the comments were met with laughter and applause.

The 79-year-old former ESPN analyst also said it’s immigrants’ duty to “become us” and that the large number of immigrants coming into the U.S. constitutes “an invasion,” the report said.

Earlier on Fox News, Holtz perhaps foreshadowed his comments by saying that speech that’s not “politically correct” really isn’t all that harmful.

“I grew up being smaller and weaker, and everybody picked on me and made fun of me,” he said. “But you know what? You learn to handle adversity.”

Holtz also said he used to be a Democrat, “but the Democratic party left me.”

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