Trump Spox: He’s Not Softening on Immigration, Just ‘Using Different Words’

Donald Trump hasn’t change his message on immigration, national spokeswoman Katrina Pierson said Thursday morning, he’s just using different words. During a Wednesday evening speech in Mississippi, Trump continued the “softening” his immigration position by backing off support for the mass deportation of undocumented immigrants. Appearing Thursday on CNN, Pierson denied that his new tack is a reversal, reiterating that Trump “does not want to allow people to stay in this country illegally” and that “he does want to build the wall but he wants to work with Congress to get things done.” When CNN anchor Erica Hill noted Trump’s previously aggressive approaches to immigration, including proposed deportation forces, Pierson replied: “There’s not a different message. He’s using different words to give that message.” She continued: “Because everyone on the news is saying that he’s a bigot and that he’s a racist because of the words he uses. Now he is simply saying, yes, we’re going to follow the law, we are going enforce the law, which ICE is, immigration and customs, they do remove people from the country who are here illegally. He wants to start with the criminals.”