Skip to main content
Tags: Steve King | DACA | Trump | Bad

Steve King: Trump Following Hillary's Immigration Plan, Not His Own

Steve King: Trump Following Hillary's Immigration Plan, Not His Own
(Getty Images)

By    |   Thursday, 14 September 2017 11:55 AM EDT

President Donald Trump was clear on what his campaign promises on immigration were, but now he sounds like "he's preparing to keep Hillary Clinton's promise rather than his own," Rep. Steve King said Thursday.

"I think something is going to have to be reversed here with this president’s policy or it will just blow up his base,” King said on CNN's "New Day" program.

"This was a straight-up promise all the way through his campaign. I do think that maybe [Nancy] Pelosi and [Chuck] Schumer hijacked the message a little bit and the president has to walk it back," said the Iowa Republican, who strongly favors abandoning the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

King said he supports all of Trump's agenda, but not the call to legalize DACA, calling it an "amnesty piece that's being dangled out in front of America right now."

"That's so destructive to a first-world country," the congressman said.

After Trump met with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer for dinner Wednesday at the White House, the two Democrats announced that a deal on DACA had been reached.

Trump early Thursday denied that he'd made a deal with the Democrats on DACA. Trump further tweeted that the wall is "already under construction in the form of new renovation of old and existing fences and walls will continue to be built."

King scoffed at that, however, when asked if he considers Trump's description of a wall an accurate one.

"Not at all," King said. "It sounds like I had an old jalopy and I was going to buy you a new car and now I will overhaul the jalopy. No, it was a wall and it was a wall all the way. People are trying to redefine that wall and say it's a virtual wall or a fence, but a wall is a wall and the American people know that."

King further dismissed contentions about the wall's expense.

"It is a cheap wall in comparison to the good we get out of it, and we need it for a lot of reasons," said King. "On top of that, I drilled into this with the administration, and I was trying to identify who the walls are under the Trump administration. I can't find that person. I sat down with [Chief of Staff John] Kelly and I got referrals and answers and I think he's a tremendous great American, but I did not get insight into the wall.

King said that if "one person does not have that in their head, there is no command of the wall, and I want to see, 'Here's what we are doing and our plan' and the proposals that have come forward."

Trump, though, tweeted Thursday that "Dreamers," who were illegally brought into the country as children, are "good, educated and accomplished young people who have jobs, some serving in the military" and asked if anyone wanted to deport them.

King, though, said he believes 92 percent of Trump's base would not agree with the president.

"We cannot reward lawbreakers," said King.

"Here's the irony. Ronald Reagan led with amnesty, and in 2006, [George W.] Bush 43 led with amnesty. Every one of those initiatives failed because the American people know we need enforcement.

"If you give amnesty first ... you need to have the honor to follow through and make the deal if amnesty comes. That doesn't come from me. We were on the cusp until the Trump announcement on DACA, and now it looks like things are going to be going downhill real fast or the Republicans will be done for in 2018 and 2020."

Sandy Fitzgerald

Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics. 

© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.


Politics
President Donald Trump was clear on what his campaign promises on immigration were, but now he sounds like "he's preparing to keep Hillary Clinton's promise rather than his own," Rep. Steve King said Thursday. "I think something is going to have to be reversed here with this...
Steve King, DACA, Trump, Bad
612
2017-55-14
Thursday, 14 September 2017 11:55 AM
Newsmax Media, Inc.

Sign up for Newsmax’s Daily Newsletter

Receive breaking news and original analysis - sent right to your inbox.

(Optional for Local News)
Privacy: We never share your email address.
Join the Newsmax Community
Read and Post Comments
Please review Community Guidelines before posting a comment.
 
TOP

Interest-Based Advertising | Do not sell or share my personal information

Newsmax, Moneynews, Newsmax Health, and Independent. American. are registered trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc. Newsmax TV, and Newsmax World are trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc.

NEWSMAX.COM
America's News Page
© Newsmax Media, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
Download the Newsmax App
NEWSMAX.COM
America's News Page
© Newsmax Media, Inc.
All Rights Reserved