Trump chooses hardliners but talks softer on immigration

[webfact]

Trump chooses hardliners but talks softer on immigration

By JONATHAN LEMIRE

 

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump embraced new Cabinet officers Wednesday whose backgrounds suggest he's primed to put tough actions behind his campaign rhetoric on immigration and the environment, even as he seemed to soften his yearlong stance on immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children.

 

It's clearer by the day, underscored by Trump's at-times contradictory words, that his actual policies as president won't be settled until after he takes his seat in the Oval Office.

 

Retired Marine Gen. John Kelly has been selected to head the Department of Homeland Security, and Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, a climate-change denier whose policies have helped fossil fuel companies, is to be announced as head of the Environmental Protection Agency.

 

Separately, Trump named the former chief executive of World Wrestling Entertainment, Linda McMahon, to head the Small Business Administration.

 

Trump's long presidential campaign was in large part defined by searing rhetoric and his steadfast promises to build an impenetrable wall on the border with Mexico and crack down on immigrants living in the U.S. illegally. But he struck a softer tone in an interview published Wednesday after he was named Time Magazine's "Person of the Year."

 

"We're going to work something out that's going to make people happy and proud," Trump said. "They got brought here at a very young age; they've worked here, they've gone to school here. Some were good students. Some have wonderful jobs. And they're in never-never land because they don't know what's going to happen."

 

He offered no details about a policy that would make that clear.

 

During the campaign, Trump's tough comments — including a vow to overturn President Barack Obama's executive orders on immigration — have led to fears among immigrant advocates that he will end Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Hundreds of thousands of young immigrants have gained work permits and temporary protection from deportation under the 2012 program, which aides to Trump have said would be revisited.

 

Others continue to press the immigrants' case. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel presented Trump a letter Wednesday from 14 big city mayors urging him to keep the program intact.

 

"They were working hard toward the American dream," Emmanuel told reporters in lobby of Trump's skyscraper. "It's no fault of their own their parents came here. They are something we should hold up and embrace."

 

Though some immigrant advocates hope Trump's words were an olive branch, others were skeptical.

 

"We've seen this movie before," Frank Sharry of the immigrant-rights group America's Voice said in a statement. "Unfortunately we expect no pivot and no softening."

 

Meanwhile, Trump moved toward making another addition to the collection of generals in his Cabinet, settling on Kelly to head Homeland Security, according to people close to transition. Gen. Kelly, who joined the Marine Corps in 1970, retired this year after a final command that included oversight of the Guantanamo Bay detention center.

 

He has a reputation as a border hawk after a time in the Southern Command, which is based in South Florida and regularly works with Homeland Security on missions to identify and dismantle immigrant smuggling networks.

 

Trump also picked Pruitt, a longtime critic of the EPA, to head that same agency, according to person close to Pruitt who was not authorized to speak publicly about the choice before it was announced. The move comes just after Trump met with former Vice President Al Gore, who is an environmental activist, and said he had "an open mind" about honoring the Paris climate accords.

 

That gave hope to some environmentalists, but on Wednesday Trump's apparent decision was denounced by Democrats.

"Mr. Pruitt's record is not only that of being a climate change denier, but also someone who has worked closely with the fossil fuel industry to make this country more dependent, not less, on fossil fuels," said Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

 

But Oklahoma Sen. Jim Inhofe, a Republican, said Pruitt "has proven that being a good steward of the environment does not mean burdening taxpayers and businesses with red tape."

 

Also Wednesday, Trump said he planned to name his secretary of state next week and insisted that former rival Mitt Romney still had a chance. Trump, who has met twice with the 2012 GOP nominee, denied he was stringing Romney along to make him pay for saying the former reality show star was unfit to be president.

 

"No, it's not about revenge. It's about what's good for the country, and I'm able to put this stuff behind us — and I hit him very hard also," Trump said in a telephone interview on NBC.

 

Those close to the selection process have said that Trump has begun moving away from both Romney and another former front-runner, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Corker and former CIA Director David Petraeus had also been previously identified by transition aides as part of the final four though Trump has now expanded the pool.

 

The president-elect also announced his selection of Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad as the new U.S. ambassador to China. Trump and Branstad are expected to appear together in Iowa on Thursday.

 

Before that, Trump will meet with some of the victims of last week's car-and-knife attack at Ohio State University. He has denounced immigration policies that allowed the apparent attacker into the country.

___

Associated Press writers Nicholas Riccardi in Denver, Thomas Beaumont in Des Moines, Sean Murphy in Oklahoma City and Michael Biesecker, Julie Pace, Lolita Baldor and Laurie Kellman in Washington contributed.

 

-- © Associated Press 2016-12-08

[Gary A]

I would wager that working illegal immigrants from Mexico and South America who are productive will be protected. Without them, fruit and vegetables would rot because the US welfare professionals refuse to do those kinds of jobs. The idea for deporting is to target the criminals and leeches.

[mike324]

Immigration is one of the few policies that I agree with Trump on. Leaches shouldn't be taking advantage of tax payers.

[elgordo38]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Attorney General Scott Pruitt, a climate-change denier whose policies have helped fossil fuel companies, is to be announced as head of the Environmental Protection Agency

Scratch the EPA

[elgordo38]

1 hour ago, mike324 said:

Immigration is one of the few policies that I agree with Trump on. Leaches shouldn't be taking advantage of tax payers.

At least Trump is not overrun like Europe. 

[elgordo38]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

"We're going to work something out that's going to make people happy and proud," Trump said.

Right from the Trump playbook. 

[dunroaming]

It is just more of Trump sending out mixed signals.  Nothing will become clear until January and he gets to steer the boat

[lungmi]

One way to calm down egomaniacs is to listen, to accept with a big smile, ' and no action.

He will not realize. He is cheating  the US,  now you can cheat him.

 

[chilli42]

I find his VP and cabinet choices so far to be interesting.  Other than the General he chose for secretary of defense (who appears excellent), the choices so far make Trump look like a left wing pussy.  Now he has the opportunity to set the dogs he has chosen loose on the press and make himself look like the voice of reason.

[Berkshire]

22 hours ago, Gary A said:

I would wager that working illegal immigrants from Mexico and South America who are productive will be protected. Without them, fruit and vegetables would rot because the US welfare professionals refuse to do those kinds of jobs. The idea for deporting is to target the criminals and leeches.

 

Interesting you should say that.  The following are some comments from the incoming labor secretary, a CEO....

 

[Puzder said that his fast-food chain’s workforce in California, where a greater share of employees were Latino, was more productive and motivated than some of his employees in other areas of the country.

“Our Hardee’s restaurant operators in the Midwest and Southeast often use the labor force in California as an example of what they would like their labor force to be,” Puzder said. “They’re very hard-working, dedicated, creative people that really appreciate the fact that they have a job —whereas in other parts of the country, you often get people that are saying, ‘I can’t believe I have to work this job.’ With the immigrant population, you always have the ‘Thank God I have this job’ kind of attitude. So, you end up with a real different feeling.”]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/trumps-labor-secretary-pick-said-legalizing-immigrants-the-right-thing-to-do-223550268.html

 

[mrwebb8825]

Trump has a plan - Too bad it hasn't sunk in to the "sore loser" brigade yet. He kept the MSM spinning in circles for well over a year just running for office. I'll guarantee you that part of his plan is to NOT tell the MSM what he's up to or going to do.

I'll paraphrase for those who have forgotten; "Telling the press anything in advance is stupid. It's much much better to come out say what we did AFTER we've done it and won..."

I smell Federal Napalm being readied for the Sanctuary cities and their oh so arrogant mayors. Best way to stop an illegal immigrant train isn't by disabling the caboose but by blowing up the locomotive.

You don't really think places like Mexico and the local mules are the masterminds do you? 

 

I'd LOVE to see him institute a bill making it illegal to collect welfare by any able bodied male or female between the ages of 17-35. Then, reinstate the draft and use the welfare recipient registry to "Help" them get registered.

 

OK, so now let's hear from the liberals about poor little Shinqua Brown who just turned 18 and is raising 5 babies on YOUR tax dollars because she can't keep her legs closed.

[Credo]

6 hours ago, mrwebb8825 said:

Trump has a plan - Too bad it hasn't sunk in to the "sore loser" brigade yet. He kept the MSM spinning in circles for well over a year just running for office. I'll guarantee you that part of his plan is to NOT tell the MSM what he's up to or going to do.

I'll paraphrase for those who have forgotten; "Telling the press anything in advance is stupid. It's much much better to come out say what we did AFTER we've done it and won..."

I smell Federal Napalm being readied for the Sanctuary cities and their oh so arrogant mayors. Best way to stop an illegal immigrant train isn't by disabling the caboose but by blowing up the locomotive.

You don't really think places like Mexico and the local mules are the masterminds do you? 

 

I'd LOVE to see him institute a bill making it illegal to collect welfare by any able bodied male or female between the ages of 17-35. Then, reinstate the draft and use the welfare recipient registry to "Help" them get registered.

 

OK, so now let's hear from the liberals about poor little Shinqua Brown who just turned 18 and is raising 5 babies on YOUR tax dollars because she can't keep her legs closed.

So just who do you think is going to raise little Shinqua's kids while she is serving in the military?   

[beechguy]

21 minutes ago, Credo said:

So just who do you think is going to raise little Shinqua's kids while she is serving in the military?   

Plenty of parents are in the military, and when they deploy, their family takes responsibility.

[ftpjtm]

On 12/7/2016 at 10:54 PM, Gary A said:

I would wager that working illegal immigrants from Mexico and South America who are productive will be protected. Without them, fruit and vegetables would rot because the US welfare professionals refuse to do those kinds of jobs. The idea for deporting is to target the criminals and leeches.

 There is such a thing as a seasonal work visa (H2-B) in the US. The problem is that it is underutilized, because it is so easy to hire illegals.

 

The H2-B program should be stream-lined, and penalties for hiring illegally increased.

[SaintLouisBlues]

12 hours ago, mrwebb8825 said:

I'll paraphrase for those who have forgotten; "Telling the press anything in advance is stupid. It's much much better to come out say what we did AFTER we've done it and won..."

I guess that's like his reported comments to his followers yesterday: "I don't need your vote any more"