Politicians have often tried to re-invent themselves, and some have actually succeeded. Southerner Lyndon Johnson became the champion of civil rights. So did former KKK member Robert Byrd. Anti-communism crusader Richard Nixon opened the door to Communist China. And hardliner Ronald Reagan signed a nuclear arms deal with the Soviet Union.
But this week, Donald Trump tried to re-invent himself on the issue of immigration, and failed. He failed because what he proposed in the first place wasn’t real – and neither was his much-heralded reinvention.
Illegal immigration, of course, is Trump’s signature issue. He not only made it the centerpiece of the Republican primary, he forced the Republican Party to reverse course on immigration: from reaching out to Latino voters – as Jeb Bush, Lindsey Graham and other GOP leaders proposed – to, in effect, declaring war on them.
He began his campaign at Trump Tower on June 16, 2015, by promising: “I will build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I will have Mexico pay for that wall.” He also promised to round up and deport some 11 million immigrants now in the United States who came here illegally, because “They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists.” And he has repeated those two promises at every campaign event since.
Then, suddenly, 10 days ago, we were told that Trump was having second thoughts. He met with a group of Latino activists. He reportedly told them he was open to changes in his plans. He was looking for a “more humane” way to deal with immigrants who had committed no crimes. He asked for ideas from a Fox News audience. He postponed a planned speech on immigration in order to revisit and revise his original hardliner position. Cable news anchors became absolutely giddy with speculation about Trump’s “new” look on immigration.
And when he finally dropped the other shoe and unveiled his revised immigration policy, in a prime-time speech in Phoenix Aug. 31, what was new? Absolutely nothing. He may have repackaged it in a 10-point program, but his position on immigration today is just as racist, and just as impractical, as it was 15 months ago. Trump didn’t lighten up; he doubled down. He didn’t get any softer on immigration. If anything, he got even darker.
While the world listened breathlessly for signs of anything new, Trump just rolled out the same old nonsense. He would build a wall – a “beautiful, impenetrable” wall, tunnel-proof, with towers and aerial surveillance. And yes, Mexico would pay for it. “They may not know it yet, but they’re going to pay for it.” And, starting on day one, he would begin mass deportation. First, the 2 million he claims among the immigrant population to be criminals, then those who are stopped for any violation of the law, even a traffic ticket. Finally, the remainder of the 11 million – all those long-term, law-abiding residents of the United States who have families and jobs and pay taxes, who have sons and daughters in the military, but who came here illegally – all of whom Donald Trump will either throw out of the country or force to leave the country and get in line to come back in legally.
The big question is: Why did Trump even go through this awkward, faux reboot on immigration only to end up back in the same place? It can only be because he doesn’t know what he’s talking about in the first place. There is, in fact, nothing real about his entire immigration scheme.
This is no longer the ’80s. The issue of illegal immigration is not the biggest problem facing this country, not even close. In fact, from 2009 to 2014, there were more people crossing the border to go south than come north. There are more guards at the border than ever before. There is no way Mexico’s going to pay for Trump’s wall. Neither will Congress. Nor are there enough buses, trains, planes or immigration officials to deport 11 million people.
Donald Trump’s whole immigration plan’s a joke. Just like his fly-by visit to Mexico City, where he wimped out and failed even to talk about who would pay for the wall, let alone make a deal.
In the end, his visit to Mexico and his Phoenix speech this week were emblematic of the entire Trump campaign: loud, flashy, trashy and totally pointless.
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