After “Weeks Of Confusion,” Donald Trump Gives “Policy” Speech On Immigration In Phoenix, Arizona

NBC: “Trump Campaign Downplays Immigration Shift Ahead Of Major Speech.” NBC News reported Trump would “try to set the record straight on his immigration policy” after “weeks of confusion” by giving an immigration policy speech in Arizona on August 31:

Donald Trump will try to set the record straight on his immigration policy in Arizona on Wednesday night after weeks of confusion over whether he still supports deporting all of the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States.



Immigration experts across the political and ideological spectrum are eagerly awaiting any clarity they can get after parsing through a blizzard of inscrutable quotes from Trump and his campaign. The speech will come hours after the Republican presidential nominee meets with Mexican president Enrique Peña Nieto, a move campaign manager Kellyanne Conway called “decisive” on the “TODAY Show” Wednesday.



[...]



Since Trump's public waffling last week, though, the campaign has broadly tamped down expectations of a major shift on immigration enforcement while reaffirming its support for a physical border wall. At best, their comments seem to suggest he might move away rhetorically from past pledges to physically remove the entire undocumented population within two years, including family members of American citizens, using a “deportation force.” [NBC News, 8/31/16]

Media figures React To Trump’s Speech: “There Hasn’t Been A Single Hint Of Change”

NBC’s Benjy Sarlin: “We've Been Punked. There Hasn't Been A Single Hint Of Any Change On Any Policy So Far.”

We've been punked. There hasn't been a single hint of any change on any policy so far.

— Benjy Sarlin (@BenjySarlin) September 1, 2016

[Twitter, 8/31/16]



Benjy Sarlin: “Looks Like Trump Built Up 10 Days Of Expectations On “Softening” To Deliver The Same Maximally Terrifying Convention Message.”

So far looks like Trump built up 10 days of expectations on “softening” to deliver the same maximally terrifying convention message

— Benjy Sarlin (@BenjySarlin) September 1, 2016

[Twitter, 8/31/16]



CNN Political Commentator David Axelrod: “So Far, Few Facts. No Retreat.”

So far, few facts. No retreat.

— David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) September 1, 2016

[Twitter, 8/31/16]



Washington Post’s Aaron Blake: This Feels Like A Speech That Is Going To Shed Precisely Zero Light On Deportation Or Legal Status.”

This feels like a speech that is going to shed precisely zero light on deportation or legal status

— Aaron Blake (@AaronBlake) September 1, 2016

[Twitter, 8/31/16]



NBC’s Alexandra Jaffe: “This Is A Repackaged Version Of Trump's Standard Stump Lines On Immigration—Rehashed Attacks, No New Policy Yet.”

So far this is a repackaged version of Trump's standard stump lines on immigration—rehashed attacks, no new policy yet.

— Alexandra Jaffe (@ajjaffe) September 1, 2016

[Twitter, 8/31/16]



Bloomberg’s Sahil Kapur: “This Is Vintage Trump. No Perceivable ‘Softening’ Or ‘Toning Down’ Or ‘Pivot.’”

This is vintage Trump. No perceivable “softening” or “toning down” or “pivot.”

— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) September 1, 2016

[Twitter, 8/31/16]



NPR’s Domenico Montanaro: “Trump Has Pivoted -- Back To The Primary.”

So far, Trump has pivoted -- back to the primary

— Domenico Montanaro (@DomenicoNPR) September 1, 2016

[Twitter, 8/31/16]



Ann Coulter: “No Pivot. Illegals Will Have One Path To Legal Status: To Go Home.”

NO PIVOT. " Illegals will have one path to legal status: To go home and apply through legal channels like everyone else."

— Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) September 1, 2016

[Twitter, 8/31/16]