Then-President George W. Bush, a Republican, fought for changes to U.S. immigration laws in 2007 but the effort fizzled in the U.S. Congress.
Advertisement
It was unclear Thursday evening if it would. “We knew it during the primary, and now it is apparent he has duped his most loyal supporters on the issue they care about most, immigration”. Trump’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for more clarity on his views.
GOP Rep. Steve King of Iowa, a leading immigration hardliner, said in an interview that “I have some concerns at this point” over Trump’s stances.
“Donald Trump is telling the African-American community ‘I am the guy for you, ‘ and he says by 2020 he’s going to have 95% of the African-American support”, Earhardt said to Pence as he revealed a big grin and a hearty chuckle. “All the things that Donald Trump railed against, he seems to be morphing into – it’s kind of disturbing”.
“I can fix the inner cities”, Trump said. Anchor: “So you’re not flip-flopping?”
“I don’t think it’s a softening”, he insisted to CNN.
Meanwhile, Republican officials insist the GOP nominee is finally hitting his stride and will catch up with Democrat Hillary Clinton by early September, following a major shake-up to his campaign.
What Trump has and has not meant by “softening” has shifted multiple times this week.
Trump made his most extensive remarks at a “town hall” gathering hosted by Fox News personality Sean Hannity – during which he polled the crowd on what he should do. “They’ll pay back taxes”.
“Now, everybody agrees we get the bad ones out”.
But a change in Trump’s position could prove to be dispiriting to some of his strongest supporters. “The ‘Gang of Eight, ‘ their plan was amnesty”, she said.
Trump needs to “define amnesty with clarify and reject real amnesty with clarity”, King said, and not continue using language like that of the “comprehensive immigration reformists”. In addition, 67 percent agreed that such immigrants are not more likely than citizens to commit crimes, according to the survey by Pew Research Center. When pressed, he said the details would need to be worked out with Congress.
On Wednesday, Trump told Hannity there would be “no citizenship” for those illegal immigrants. “They are waiting, so there is discrimination going on in UNCR, too – so I don’t know but I hope Trump will do something better for those Christians who are refugees and are Christians but waiting for years now”, she added.
Trump repeatedly asked the audience in Austin, Tex. for its opinions. “I look forward to it”. “You wouldn’t believe, Chris, how much would change quickly if you actually enforce the laws that are not being enforced”. If you enter the country unlawfully you’re subject to being deported.
“Look, when you launch your campaign saying Mexican immigrants are rapists, drug dealers and murderers, I don’t know there’s a lot you can say to recover”, said Democratic Rep. Luis Gutierrez of IL.
Trump’s week of explanations on immigration are already earning him criticism from his allies within the Republican Party-including former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who on Thursday called his positions “wishy-washy”. If true, the “new” immigration plan would be similar to the one Jeb Bush advocated during the Republican primary.
Advertisement
His comment came as a few reporters were allowed into a meeting that Trump held at Trump Tower in Manhattan with members of the Republican Leadership Initiative, a Republican National Committee program that trains millennial and minority Republicans.
