Trump Floats A “Massive Immigration Reversal” During Hannity Town Hall

Trump Claims He Is Considering “A Possible Process To Allow Undocumented Immigrants To Remain In America.” In a town hall hosted by Fox News’ Sean Hannity, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump revealed “what would be a stunning reversal” on immigration, as NBCNews.com put it, “float[ing] a possible process to allow undocumented immigrants to remain in America.” Trump, who “maintained during the primaries that all undocumented immigrants must be removed,” said he was “moved by concerns from fans who opposed his previous calls for a ‘deportation force.’” According to NBC, “He sounded unsure of his own immigration position” at the town hall and “at one point turn[ed] to the audience to survey them on the issue.” From an August 25 NBCNews.com article:

In what would be a stunning reversal on an issue central to his candidacy, Donald Trump floated a possible process to allow undocumented immigrants to remain in America in a town hall that aired Wednesday.

“No citizenship,” Trump told Fox News' Sean Hannity in an interview taped Tuesday afternoon in Austin, Texas. “Let me go a step further — they'll pay back-taxes, they have to pay taxes, there's no amnesty, as such, there's no amnesty, but we work with them.”

Trump said he was moved by concerns from fans who opposed his previous calls for a “deportation force” to remove all of the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the country.

[...]

While Trump's comments on legalization were inconsistent in the years leading up to his presidential run, he maintained during the primaries that all undocumented immigrants must be removed throughout his campaign.

At one point he proposed expelling all 11 million undocumented immigrants within two years — a goal that experts say would require a brutal and expansive deportation regime to carry out.

[...]

He sounded unsure of his own immigration position on Tuesday, at one point turning to the audience to survey them on the issue.

“Look, this is like a poll, there's thousands of people in this room,” Trump said. “Who wants those people thrown out?” [NBCNews.com, 8/25/16]

The Four Ways Right-Wing Media Reacted To Trump’s Alleged “Softening” On Immigration

Slamming Trump’s Lack Of Consistency

Fox’s Charles Krauthammer: Trump’s Immigration Shift “Undermines Everything He’s Ever Said, And You Have To Question, Did He Ever Mean It?” Fox contributor Charles Krauthammer criticized Trump’s new position on immigration, saying, “This is not evolution; this is a complete turnabout,” and arguing that the alleged shift “undermines everything he’s ever said, and you have to question, did he ever mean it?” From the August 24 edition of Fox News’ Special Report with Bret Baier:

CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER: Well, you know, if this is evolution, this is like a platypus going to sleep and waking up as a pussy cat. That has really never happened in the history of any of our species. This is not evolution; this is a complete turnabout, And the worst thing is not just that it's a change of policy. It's that, look at what happens to the underlying logic. The logic of the policy was, this is what -- this was the tent pole of his campaign. The politicians are idiots. The politicians are stupid. The politicians are sold out. They don't care about you. And what did he say? We don't have borders. We don't have a country. They are all flocking in. They are killers, they are rapists, and the country is a divided crime scene, as he said in his speech at the convention, as a result of this, and now he tells us oh, the laws are wonderful as administered by Bush and Obama. I don't want to change any of it. I will be a little more energetic. That undermines everything he’s ever said, and you have to question, did he ever mean it? I think the answer is probably no. [Fox News, Special Report with Bret Baier, 8/24/16]

Fox’s Dana Perino: Trump “Takes Every Side Of The Issue.” Fox host Dana Perino said that she doesn’t “know really what [Trump] ultimately would come down on” because “he takes every side of the issue” of immigration and “hasn’t put pen to paper.” From the August 24 edition of Fox News’ The Five:

ERIC BOLLING: Dana, so he’s stuck in a situation where if he stayed hardline, the people who didn’t like him said you’re too hardline, and if he pivots or softens, they say hey you’re a flip-flopper or a softener.

DANA PERINO (CO-HOST): Yeah, so then who stays with him? Right? Actually, I read that entire transcript, and he takes every side of the issue. So it doesn't matter -- at this point, you know, I don't know really what he ultimately would come down on because also he hasn't put pen to paper. But I did think it was interesting, yes, it’s true that during the primary, if you took the position that he's now taking, you were called somebody who was for amnesty and somebody who was just trying to do the Democrats’ bidding. OK, well maybe that's fine, because get this -- and this is something I kept going back to in the exit polls -- of the 28 states where there were GOP exit polls, immigration was the fourth most important issue out of four issues. The first one was the economy, then government spending, then terrorism, then immigration. And also in 20 of those states, they asked this additional question: Should most illegal immigrants working in the United States be offered a chance to apply for legal status or deported to the country where they came from, which is what Donald Trump’s original stance was. Fifty-three percent of people said, and this is Republicans, remember, in the primaries, 53 percent of Republicans said they should be offered a chance to stay here legally, not deported. So perhaps Trump now has got to a point where the rest of the Republican Party was or the majority of the Republican Party was, but he's already made the Hispanic population so mad that he's down to like a 12 percent approval rating with them, and he needs to do a lot better with them if he’s going to win. [Fox News, The Five, 8/25/16]

MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough: “Sincerity And Donald Trump … Don’t Go Together.” MSNBC host Joe Scarborough argued that “Sincerity and Donald Trump … don’t go together” and compared Trump’s immigration stance to a series of other issues he has flip-flopped on. Contributor John Heilemann asked how people could “not now question the sincerity of this quote ‘pivot’” given Trump’s previous “extreme” positions. From the August 25 edition of MSNBC’s Morning Joe:

JOHN HEILEMANN: Pivots are -- and the transition from a nomination fight to a general election are traditional things in presidential politics, but when you've taken positions as extreme as Donald Trump has taken and they are on videotape, as we just demonstrated. I believe there's probably videotape out there that has him praising Eisenhower's Operation Wetback.

JOE SCARBOROUGH (CO-HOST): There is.

HEILEMANN: So if that lives, and everyone in our world will remind the country of where Trump was before, will people not now question the sincerity of this quote “pivot.”

SCARBOROUGH: Sincerity and Donald Trump, they don't go together to the voters, at least. They don't matter. I could get you video of him being for Iraq, against Iraq, for Libya, against Libya, for partial birth abortions, against partial birth abortions, for gun control, against gun control. You've got evangelicals supporting him despite the fact that he has said some remarkably liberal things when it comes to social issues. Mike White -- Ann Coulter says this is the one thing that he can't flip-flop on, but why is this any different to Trump supporters than anything else? Because what they're going to say is that he's doing this. He's doing this to win. Nod, nod, wink, wink. I don't think, none of this really matters to Trump supporters. He can do whatever he wants to do. [MSNBC, Morning Joe, 8/25/16]

Daily Caller’s Jamie Weinstein: “If You Believed Trump Was Sincere About Deporting 11 Million Immigrants, You’re Either Comically Gullible Or A Dunce.”

Trump's flip flop on immigration wasn't just predictable, it was explicitly predicted: https://t.co/Oktv90xKte

— Jamie Weinstein (@Jamie_Weinstein) August 25, 2016

Blunt but true: if you believed Trump was sincere about deporting 11 million immigrants, you're either comically gullible or a dunce

— Jamie Weinstein (@Jamie_Weinstein) August 25, 2016

[Twitter, 8/25/16, 8/25/16]

RedState’s Jay Caruso: “Trump Supporters Were Warned He’s A Fraud; They Did Not Listen.”

My latest ---> Trump Supporters Were Warned He's A Fraud; They Did Not Listen And Now The Chickens Are Roosting https://t.co/5H5Vt14A2Y

— Jay Caruso (@JayCaruso) August 25, 2016

[Twitter, 8/25/16]

Daily Wire’s Ben Shapiro: On Immigration, Trump “Has More Positions Than The Kama Sutra.”

FYI, here's a full timeline of Donald Trump's immigration positions. He has more positions than the kama sutra. https://t.co/0krdaFupln

— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) August 25, 2016

[Twitter, 8/25/16]

Calling The Alleged “Softening” “A Mistake”

Commentator Ann Coulter: Trump Talking About Softening His Immigration Position “Is A Mistake.” Conservative commentator Ann Coulter said Trump’s new line on immigration sounds like “it’s coming from consultants,” and she called it “a mistake,” questioning, “why are we talking about softening the lives of lawbreakers?” Coulter added that her tour for her book In Trump We Trust “could be the shortest book tour ever if he’s really softening his position on immigration.” From the August 23 edition of MSNBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews:

ANN COULTER: This could be the shortest book tour ever if he's really softening his position on immigration, but I don't think he is.

[...]

CHRIS MATTHEWS (HOST): How do you stop the illegal hiring? Because he never mentions that. Trump never mentions it.

COULTER: No, I wish he would.

MATTHEWS: Isn’t that the heart of it?

COULTER: That’s what I wish he were talking about now, and plus H1-B visas, plus people losing their jobs, plus Kate Steinle again. I mean, why -- there are only so many things you can talk about, why are we talking about softening the lives of lawbreakers? I just, I think this is a mistake, I think it’s coming from consultants.

MATTHEWS: Has he lost heart? Has he lost his confidence?

COULTER: I don’t think so, but to answer your last question --

MATTHEWS: Then you’re saying two things. You think he may have softened up here on what got him this far.

COULTER: No, I think this is a mistake. I’ve thought he’s made other mistakes, and I’ve given him constructive criticism when I think he makes a mistake. I think this is a mistake. [MSNBC, Hardball, 8/23/16]

Wash. Examiner’s Byron York: “In The Last 72 Hours, Trump Has Lost Control Of The [Immigration] Issue.” The Washington Examiner’s Byron York criticized the Trump campaign for “making a mess of things,” writing that “Trump has lost control of the issue.” York argued that while “a new, more moderate position might attract some undecided voters,” a shift “could disillusion some who have supported and worked for Trump’s candidacy.” From the August 24 article:

One thing is certain in the current brouhaha over Donald Trump's immigration proposals: the candidate and his top aides are making a mess of things. What is the status of his old proposal to deport all immigrants who are in the United States illegally? After days of Trump and his senior advisers talking about it, the answer is entirely unclear.

 [...]

The strategy — making strength on immigration Trump's signature issue — worked fantastically well in Trump's march through the Republican primaries. But the general election campaign is different, and Trump has finally found himself under pressure to clarify his position. And in the last 72 hours Trump has lost control of the issue.

[...]

Trump's deportation mess is troubling to some of the best-informed conservatives on the immigration issue because it creates a huge and damaging controversy over a matter that is not at the heart of solving the larger immigration problem. “The disposition of the 12 million illegals already here is not the core dilemma we face,” writes Mark Krikorian, of the Center for Immigration Studies, which favors tighter limits on immigration. “The core dilemma is how to make sure we don't end up with another 12 million illegal aliens.”

What Trump does could have a serious effect on his campaign. Perhaps a new, more moderate position might attract some undecided voters. But a retreat from the deportation pledge, or at least what many supporters believed Trump's deportation pledge to be, could disillusion some who have supported and worked for Trump's candidacy. There are a significant number of Trump supporters who were drawn to him because of his stand on immigration. [Washington Examiner, 8/24/16]

Ignoring Trump’s Alleged Immigration Shift

Breitbart News Ignored Trump’s Immigration Shift. Breitbart News did not report on Trump’s possible softening of his immigration stance. On August 25, the day after Trump’s comments, the Breitbart News front page reported on former U.K. Independence Party leader Nigel Farage’s “Fram[ing] U.S. Election As ‘Decent People’ Vs. Globalist Elite” and on “illegals from terror-linked countries … arrested along the U.S.-Mexico border.” Breitbart News executive chairman Stephen Bannon recently took a leave of absence to serve as chief executive of the Trump campaign.

[Breitbart News, 825/16; Media Matters, 8/17/16]

Drudge Also Failed To Report On Trump’s Immigration Reversal. The Drudge Report also omitted any mention of Trump’s immigration shift on August 25. The Drudge Report headlines focused on Farage’s appearance at a Trump event and the Clinton Foundation. The front page included no mention of Trump or his changing immigration policies.

[The Drudge Report, 8/25/16, 8/25/16]

Cautiously Praising And Encouraging The Alleged Shift

Wash. Examiner Editorial Board: “If Trump Intends To Adopt A More Reasonable Position On Immigration In General, That Is Welcome News,” But “He Needs To Be Crystal Clear.” The Washington Examiner editorial board argued that it would be “welcome news” for Trump “to adopt a more reasonable position on immigration in general,” but noted that “there are a lot of murky details about exactly what his plan would look like in practice, should he go in that direction.” The board called for “a detailed and coherent policy for voters to judge.” From the August 24 article:

But this week, Trump is openly talking about extending legal status to illegal immigrants who have been in the U.S. for a long period of time. In other words, he's proposing a policy that, when suggested by Bush-era establishment Republicans, is typically denounced as “amnesty.” Indeed, in a FOX News town hall on Wednesday night, he discussed a plan almost identical to that of Jeb Bush.

[...]

The interview, however, ended without resolution. Trump actually polled the town hall audience for their opinion about what his immigration plan should be, and concluded by saying he “would come out with a decision very soon.” And there are a lot of murky details about exactly what his plan would look like in practice, should he go in that direction. Would he adopting Bush's plan in toto, or would his plan work differently? How long would immigrants need to have lived in the U.S. to be eligible, for example? How would their tax liability be calculated? Would they still have to go back to their country of origin?

If Trump intends to adopt a more reasonable position on immigration in general, that is welcome news. But if that's his intent, he needs to spell out a detailed and coherent policy for voters to judge. It would be appropriate, for one thing, to replace his campaign's old immigration white paper with a one that reflects his new position.

Immigration is, after all, Trump's signature issue. His call to “build a wall” on the Mexican border almost instantly became the rallying cry of his campaign.

In an interview with the Washington Examiner in January, Trump expressed openness to the idea that his promise of mass deportations and a ban on Muslim immigration was merely an “opening position” for negotiations on a future immigration policy. That's fine as far as it goes, but now it appears Trump has done some negotiating with himself. If he is changing his mind, he needs to be crystal clear, with great detail, about the what he would do as president on the issue that turned him into a contender in the first place. [Washington Examiner, 8/25/16]

Erick Erickson: “Donald Trump Has Seen The Light” On Immigration And “Should Be Commended.” The Resurgent’s Erick Erickson praised Trump for “doing the right thing” and argued that “instead of bashing him, we should be thanking him for seeing the light.” Erickson promoted Trump’s plan to build “a real, physical wall” while allowing “parents and grandparents who have poured sweat equity into the American dream” to remain. From the August 25 article: 

Donald Trump is doing the right thing. It is the thing Americans across the political spectrum support and instead of bashing him, we should be thanking him for seeing the light. His immigration position now mirrors that of Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio.

[...]

A grandparent who, to improve their lot in life, crossed the border as a young person in the 70’s, 80’s, or 90’s and is now a productive member of our society should be welcomed into the American dream.

[...]

These are not people living on the system, but contributing to the system. Send home the people who have broken the law since they arrived. Send home the gang bangers, the murderers, the thieves, and people like that. But parents and grandparents who have poured sweat equity into the American dream should stay.

I am glad Donald Trump has seen the light on this. He should be commended and we should show him some grace for arriving at this decision.

Yes, I agree with him. We need to build a wall and it should be a real, physical wall.

And now I find myself agreeing with him on this too. I can only imagine that my friend Kellyanne Conway is explaining to Donald Trump what her polling and the polling of so many others has shown. Americans are not heartless and do not want to break up the families of decent people. [The Resurgent, 8/25/16]