His first hour was all about Trump's supposed backtracking on his immigration policies. He made a big deal about Trump "giving away" securing the border before compromising on "Dreamers," and was quick to suggest that Trump didn't learn the lesson of Reagan's agreeing on amnesty now in exchange for security later.
I didn't see any of that in the speech last night, but Levin sure had a lot of angst over it yesterday afternoon.
-PJ
> ...he’s quick to assume the worst of President Trump.
I believe you’re right about that.
> He made a big deal about Trump “giving away” securing the border before compromising on “Dreamers,” and was quick to suggest that Trump didn’t learn the lesson of Reagan’s agreeing on amnesty now in exchange for security later.
Well, it was Trump’s outspoken opposition to making deals on immigration before securing the border that first won him lots of support on this forum and in the country. I’m unsure of the details of what he has in mind yet, but if people wait to express their opinions until they see a finished proposal, it will probably be too late to influence it.
I won’t attribute the position to Trump, but will say that if this country continues to accept illegal immigrant children — with the border not yet secure — that will encourage more parents to send their children on the dangerous trek to the United States (which is dangerous now even to adults, and according to a study I read, a large percentage of female illegals end up being raped somewhere along the way — after all they’re dealing with some of the worst criminals in Mexico).
Let’s hope that’s not what Trump has in mind. Despite seeming merciful on the surface, it can end up harming more children, not to mention harming the country with more uncontrolled immigration. (Accepting children but not their parents isn’t very merciful anyway.)
I think people on the right ought to continue to criticize Trump when he appears to be weakening on what he promised during the campaign (just as we do with the establishment Republicans, with whom it’s a routine practice). If he comes up with a compromise that clearly seems advantageous, then yes, let’s support it. Bear in mind, though, that if politicians receive less criticism for veering to the left than to the right — and obviously they won’t get it from the Democrats and mainstream media — then that’s where they’ll be tempted to go.
Without criticism from the right there will be no price to pay. Compromises need to be acceptable to persons on the right too. Otherwise all they amount to is caving in again, the same old establishment Republican story.