Trump’s Stunning Flip-Flop on Immigration
The list of flip-flops that Donald Trump has made since descending an escalator in his namesake tower last year and into the presidential campaign continues to grow.
In the latest instance, he has described his change in tone on immigration as a “softening” of a stance he previously touted rather than a complete reversal.
Other issues on which he had different feelings before the presidential campaign include abortion and assault rifles. But the bigger surprises have come after he announced one stance early in the presidential campaign and then switched his position.
Trump has spoken throughout the campaign about his plans for a “deportation force,” but his campaign staff has indicated in recent days that such plans may not come to fruition exactly as previously described.
In November he mentioned a possible force to target unauthorized immigrants.
“You are going to have a deportation force, and you are going to do it humanely,” he said during an appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
Now Trump has signaled that he’s adjusting his position.
“There certainly can be a softening, because we’re not looking to hurt people,” he said during a Fox News town hall event Tuesday, Aug. 23.
“We want people — we have some great people in this country. We have some great, great people in this country. But, so, we’re going to follow the laws of this country. What people don’t realize — we have very, very strong laws,” Trump said.
His comments stand in stark contrast to one of the more controversial portions of his presidential announcement in June 2015, when he said, “When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best … They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.”
(h/t ABC News)
Reality
With the many other flip-flops since becoming the Republican party’s nominee, Trump rejected almost every stance that his supporters loved which separated him from the other Republican primary candidates.
In fact, Trump’s new proposal is nearly identical to Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio’s positions during the Republican primaries.
Some other notable flip-flops by Trump include:
- His ‘sarcasm’ about Obama’s being the ‘literal founder of ISIS.’
- The ‘complete and total shutdown’ of Muslims entering the country became only the rich ones, then to a ‘ideological test.’
- Changed his tax plan that obviously saved billionaires like him loads of money, to a new plan that would save billionaires like him some money.
- During the primaries claimed he would self-fund, then during the general he now accepts big donations while still claiming self-funding.
- Promised to protect the 2nd Amendment, then he has also repeatedly suggested that there should be some reforms, including an effort to stop people on the terrorist watch list from being able to get guns.
- For years before running for President, Trump was a staunch pro-choice supporter, then switched to pro-life. During interviews he held the position that women who get abortions should face “some form of punishment” then changed to the doctor being punished, all while abortion being completely.
- Said the minimum wage was “too high,” then we shouldn’t raise it, then we should raise it.
- In September, Trump said that he would support asylum for refugees from Syria, given the circumstances in the country, then three weeks later reversed course.
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