Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer predicted Wednesday that President Trump is going to walk things back on immigration after expressing interest in a compromise bill on Tuesday.
“We’ve been through this movie before — you guys just fall for the bait,” Mr. Schumer, New York Democrat, said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
“Yesterday, he has these cosmopolitan reporters in, and he says oh, maybe we’ll do something on immigration,” he said. “And then at night he gives a virulently anti-immigration speech.”
Mr. Schumer also said Sen. Joe Manchin, West Virginia Democrat, asked Mr. Trump recently if they could work together on a “Gang of Eight”-style immigration bill that passed the Senate in 2013 and the president expressed interest.
“The next day, he walked it back,” Mr. Schumer said. “Mark my words: This is going to be walked back. We’re going to see no plan at all.”
Mr. Trump told television reporters at the White House Tuesday that the “time is right” for an immigration bill if both sides are willing to compromise.
The president said later in his speech to a joint session of Congress that “real and positive immigration reform is possible,” talking up a merit-based system for legal immigration while also mentioning border enforcement.
Mr. Trump also announced that he has directed the Department of Homeland Security to create a new government office dedicated to serving victims of illegal immigrant crime.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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