Mr. Trump’s supporters who feel betrayed by this evolution instead should take heart. Your candidate hasn’t gone wobbly. He’s gotten wise. Immigration restrictionism is a surefire political loser for the GOP in national elections, and Mr. Trump has finally figured that out. His signature issue propelled him through a crowded primary where pluralities won the day. But most Republicans who vote in the general election don’t take their cues on immigration policy from the talk-radio right. And Mr. Trump’s nasty tone has already cost him support not only among minorities but also among whites.
American views on immigration, including how to handle the large illegal population, are far more moderate than GOP restrictionists like to admit. When President Obama signed an executive action in 2014 that protected millions from deportation, he did so secure in the knowledge that most voters, including most Republican voters, supported his goal of granting legal status to undocumented aliens. The president’s unilateral approach was unpopular, and the courts have found it legally dubious. But in a Pew Research Center survey taken after the immigration order was issued, 70% of all respondents and 53% of Republicans said illegal immigrants who meet certain requirements “should have a way to stay in the country legally.”
Fox News surveys have revealed even stronger GOP support for some form of conditional amnesty.
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