Former President Donald Trump scrambled to clarify his immigration stance Monday, insisting his administration would never offer amnesty to undocumented immigrants after weekend remarks suggesting openness to a deal with Democrats rattled his hardline supporters.
During an impromptu White House briefing, Trump denied reports that his team was considering a pathway to legal status for certain immigrants in the country illegally. “We have a very strong deportation policy,” he said. “There’s no amnesty, no, no anything.”
Backtracking From 60 Minutes Interview
The comments came days after a 60 Minutes interview where Trump told CBS News he’d “love” to work with Democrats on immigration reform, acknowledging the issue had both helped and hurt Republicans in the midterms. He suggested some undocumented immigrants who are working and paying taxes might be allowed to stay.
The remarks immediately drew fire from immigration hawks in Trump’s base, who viewed them as a betrayal of his “America First” deportation policies. The interview aired just before Trump announced hardliner Stephen Miller as his new chief of staff — a move seen as reassuring skeptical supporters.
‘Worst of the Worst’ Focus
On Monday, Trump sought to reframe his position, emphasizing his administration would prioritize removing violent criminals. “We want to get the murderers out,” he said, claiming border policies under President Biden had allowed thousands of violent offenders into the country.
While ruling out blanket amnesty, Trump notably left the door open to some undefined compromise for productive undocumented immigrants. “Some of them are even paying taxes,” he acknowledged. “We’re seeing what’s going to happen.”
The former president saved his harshest criticism for Biden, blaming his administration for what he called a catastrophic border crisis. “What Biden did to this country should never, ever be forgotten,” Trump said, vowing to prevent a recurrence if reelected.
Source: www.dailywire.com — https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-addresses-the-remarks-that-rattled-his-immigration-supporters