But both Clinton and Republican rival Donald Trump know there are countless ways the trajectory of this uncommonly volatile presidential campaign still could shift in unexpected ways.
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Clinton for her part jabbed at Trump, after the Republican refused to answer questions on Philadelphia’s WPVI television about whether he regretted leading the “birther” movement that falsely claimed President Barack Obama was born outside the country.
Donald Trump in New Hampshire.
The meeting came despite protests from former Mexico president Vincente Fox and others furious about Trump’s calls for a border wall paid for by Mexico and a his statement about some Mexican immigrants being “rapists” and “murderers”. Trump has dragged us through the mud for over a year before this sudden “pivot” toward not sounding like his presidency’s first 100 days would be devoted to rounding us up and making us disappear.
“If they can’t get Mr. Trump to change his act by Labor Day, the GOP will have no choice but to write off the nominee as hopeless and focus on salvaging the Senate and House and other down-ballot races”, they wrote in an editorial published August 14.
Aguilar said the speech does not bode well for Trump’s campaign.
The liberal Think Progress website linked one Trump statistic in the speech to the Federation of American Immigration Reform, which was labeled an anti-immigrant extremist group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, a non-profit that tracks hate groups.
Trump is emphasizing illegal immigrants accused of crimes, an issue of far less controversy than what to do with the millions of immigrants in the USA illegally who have not been accused of crimes.
Trump had originally announced his intention to deport all of the estimated 11 million immigrants who are in the United States illegally, but in Wednesday’s speech seemed to scale back on that goal with an emphasis on zero tolerance for criminal illegals, especially the estimated 2 million he says are here now. That’s the night of the first general-election debate between Trump and Clinton. “People have to get to know that they can count on you, that you won’t say one thing one day and something totally different the next…” Instead, the Republican presidential candidate echoed the Mexican president’s longtime talking points.
Former Mexican President Vicente Fox said Trump was trying to boost his sagging campaign. And from Arizona and Florida on Tuesday came new signs that Trump’s rebellion has fizzled. “If we can sift through the rhetoric and find details of the policy in (the speech) there”, he said.
“At the start of the conversation with Donald Trump, I made it clear that Mexico will not pay for the wall”, Peña Nieto tweeted, after their meeting Wednesday.
Trump’s supporters like him when he is at his most bigoted and most xenophobic.
But Agular said Thursday: “I’m withdrawing my support”.
Aguilar has had a hard relationship with Trump over the previous year.
A few hours later, Pena Nieto contradicted Trump, saying he had told the American that Mexico would not foot the bill.
“All this talk about the wall, just like his trip to Mexico, is just a political ploy”.
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“We’re very much on schedule to do what we need to do to turn out the vote for Mr. Trump”, said Bob Paduchik, Trump’s OH state director and one of the most experienced operatives on the Republican’s staff. Paduchik said Trump’s efforts heading into the fall are focused primarily on rallying “disaffected Democrats and independents”. The total US population will grow from the current 324 million to 441 million, with immigration accounting for 88 percent of the increase. “Mexican nationals in the United States are honest people, working people”, he said.
