Washington – Republican Donald Trump insists that he’s not flip-flopping when it comes to his proposal to deport the estimated 11 million people living in the United States illegally — even though his new campaign manager now says his stance is “to be determined.”
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Trump said in an interview with Fox & Friends on Monday that he’s “not flip-flopping,” but wants to come up with “a really fair, but firm” solution.
Trump had previously proposed using a “deportation force” to remove the 11 million people living in the United States illegally— a proposal that excited many of his core supporters, but alienated Hispanic voters who could be pivotal in key states. Republican leaders fear that Trump can’t win — and could drag down GOP congressional candidates — if he doesn’t increase his support beyond his white, male base.
Eric Trump, one of Trump’s sons, was asked on “Fox and Friends” Monday whether this was a flip-flop. He replied: “My father hasn’t flip-flopped on anything.”
He declined to provide details of his father’s plans, but said they will be “humane and ethical and treats everybody well, but we have to solve a problem,” referring to illegal immigration.
Trump met Saturday with Hispanic supporters, representatives of a community that has been wary of the billionaire businessman’s deportation proposals and his plans to build a giant wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. Questioned on whether Trump still intends to deploy the deportation force, campaign manager Kellyanne Conway said Sunday: “To be determined.”
Trump’s comments come as 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. Polls now mostly show Trump lagging Clinton by 5 percentage points or more nationally.
“Donald Trump has been disciplined and mature. And I think he’s going to get this thing back on track,” Reince Priebus, the Republican National Committee chairman, said Sunday.
Conway echoed Priebus’ optimism, contending that the candidate just had the best week of his campaign, “mostly because he’s able to be himself, the authentic Donald Trump.”
Conway was named to her post last week in a shake-up in which the campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, resigned and conservative media firebrand Stephen Bannon, who led Breitbart News, took over as campaign chief executive.
A new style was immediately evident as Trump, in a first, offered regrets for any remarks that had caused offense, stuck with his teleprompter at a series of events, and paid a visit to flood-ravaged Louisiana. Trump also announced his first ad buys of the campaign, more evidence of an acceptance of the traditional campaign elements most experts believe he will need in order to have a shot at winning. He made a direct appeal to African-American voters, insisting he wants the Republican Party to become their political home.
Clinton’s campaign manager, Robby Mook, disputed claims of a turnaround in Trump’s candidacy. “We’re not seeing a pivot. Donald Trump himself said this was not a pivot. He wants to double down on letting Donald Trump be Donald Trump,” Mook said.
Indeed, Trump was back to his old self on Twitter Monday morning. He went after MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” tweeting that the show is “unwatchable!” and said its host, Mika Brzezinski, “is off the wall, a neurotic and not very bright mess!”
Conway had said Sunday that Trump “doesn’t hurl personal insults.”
Conway, Mook and Priebus were interviewed on ABC’s “This Week.” and Conway also spoke on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
There is no “humane” or for that matter feasible way of forcibly deporting millions of undocumented/illegal aliens many of whom have children born here and therefore U.S. Citizens. Nor can we believe anything he says since in Friday’s speech he was expressing “regrets” for his personal attacks and insults to a wide range of individuals including public officials, journalists and private citizens with whom he disagreed. It lasted 48 hours. This AM, his Tweets are entirely personal attacks against journalists’ personal lives (and this from a guy who dumped his first two wives). I respect his new campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, but she cannot control this buffoon.
he will deport, he won’t deport, he flips, he flops – he is a total FLOP