Republican nominee Donald Trump will have to walk a fine line in the major immigration speech he is scheduled to deliver Wednesday, with pundits saying it is unclear what policy he will spell out, The Hill reported.
Most observers say Trump will not make any major policy changes in the address, but will try to craft the speech to appeal to both his solid supporters and to attract a wider spectrum of people who might consider voting for him.
But any perception of waffling on the issue could upset those who see Trump as different than typical politicians whose positions are always changing according to public sentiment.
Former Ted Cruz spokesman Rick Tyler warned about exactly that, telling MSNBC's "Morning Joe" program "his base will not allow him to move from his previous position . . . his previous position was the one he staked out that distinguished himself from every Republican running . . .
"What he wants to do, of course, is expand his base and get beyond his base, but his base won't let him, so he's got a low ceiling and a high floor, and it's not going to let him move."
Trump caused confusion on his signature issue of immigration last week, when he told Fox News' Sean Hannity he is open to altering his position on illegal immigrants already living in the United States.
When asked if he could accommodate law-abiding illegal immigrants who have raised a family in the U.S. and who have contributed to society, Trump said, "There could certainly be a softening, because we're not looking to hurt people."
But the exact details and scope of his proposed changes were further put into question when a few days later Trump told CNN's Anderson Cooper "there is no path to legalization [for undocumented immigrants] unless they leave the country and then come back."
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee told Fox News' "America Newsroom" the confusion comes from the fact something Trump says when he is thinking out loud is not a "policy proposal."
Huckabee said he expects Trump's immigration speech will focus on basics, saying, "I think he is going to stick to the focus of border security, not having amnesty and making sure that people understand that we will have a country that enforces its border."
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