He acknowledged Mexicans’ “enormous indignation” over Trump’s presence in the country and repeated that he told him in person Mexico would in no way pay for the proposed border wall.
Advertisement
Mexico’s president said that Donald Trump’s proposals represent a threat to the future of his country and that he agreed to a widely criticized meeting with the Republican candidate to open a space for dialogue.
Trump’s last-minute visit on Wednesday to Mexico was created to appeal to moderate voters, including those most affected by illegal immigration, who are anxious that the real estate mogul and former reality TV star lacks the temperament to engage in global diplomacy.
The president came under fire for not responding to Trump’s mention of the wall during a joint news conference Wednesday, something he has since sought to correct.
Donald Trump’s back-to-back immigration-focused events in Mexico and Arizona were an astounding display of political whiplash.
“Oh, there’s softening”, Trump insisted.
Anyone living in the country illegally who is arrested “for any crime whatsoever”, he said, will immediately be placed into deportation proceedings. But he also ruled out what he dismissed as “amnesty”, saying those who want to live legally in the USA will need to leave and head to the back of the line in their home countries. “We’re disappointed. We feel misled”.
“Being a moderate Republican means (being) an endangered species right now”, Yaeger said, explaining that she felt the party had moved too far to the right.
“I was thinking maybe Hillary over Trump”, Jensen said.
Alfonso Aguilar, president of the Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles, had prominently endorsed Trump after initially opposing his candidacy.
He nevertheless claimed Thursday morning there had been “quite a bit of softening” in the speech during a freakish interview with conservative radio show host Laura Ingraham.
A Washington Post poll released last month showed only 18% of Latino voters saw Trump favorably, compared with 55% who said they saw Hillary Clinton favorably.
But while Trump was in the air, the drama that never seems far from his campaign resurfaced.
Jacob Monty, another member of the National Hispanic Advisory Council, wasted no time in distancing himself from Trump as he resigned from the group late Wednesday night. In a Facebook post, Monty said he was finished supporting Trump after hearing the speech. In the address, Trump outlined a 10-step plan for immigration policy and had harsh words for undocumented immigrants.
Advertisement
Trump’s more conciliatory tone during his surprise visit to Mexico Wednesday, coupled with his private comments and some language in the speech, give Bramnick hope that Trump will one day unveil a plan “that’s going to secure the border and that’s going to be just and equitable to help the undocumented”.
