Trump Words Comes Back to Haunt Him as he is Forced to Retract His Huge Promise to Americans
Donald Trump’s previous statements are coming back to haunt him, as scrutiny of his past promises intensifies. His bold claims and ambitious assurances, which once rallied his supporters, are now being critically examined in light of unmet expectations. Trump’s proposal to automatically grant green cards to foreign college graduates has faced significant backlash, prompting his campaign to retract the promise.
The controversy began after Trump suggested on the “All-In Podcast” that foreign students should receive a green card upon graduation. “You graduate from a college, I think you should get automatically, as part of your diploma, a green card to be able to stay in this country, and that includes junior colleges, too,” Trump stated during the podcast.
As reported by Fox News on Sunday, June 23, 2024, the idea was met with immediate criticism from various conservative figures and immigration policy experts. Mark Krikorian, Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies, dismissed the proposal as “cockamamie,” arguing it would flood U.S. colleges with foreign students looking for an easy path to permanent residency.
“If someone earns a Ph.D. in a hard science, I personally will drive to their house and give them a green card,” Krikorian remarked, emphasizing the impracticality of extending this offer to all foreign graduates, including those from less rigorous programs. Chris Chmielenski, president of the conservative Immigration Accountability Project, echoed these sentiments, warning that the plan could depress wages for American workers and create more competition for recent graduates.
He also suggested it could pose a national security risk. “U.S. immigration policy must serve the interests of all Americans, not the interests of elite business leaders who seek cheap labor,” Chmielenski said. The Biden campaign seized on the controversy, characterizing Trump’s proposal as another empty promise. Biden campaign spokesperson Kevin Munoz told Fox News Digital, “Every chance Donald Trump got in office, he made it his mission to rip apart immigrant families for his own political gain.
He’s also proudly running to go even further in a second term, not only by openly echoing Nazi rhetoric around immigrants but also by promising cruel policies like rounding up immigrants and putting them into mass detention camps.” In response to the backlash, Trump’s campaign clarified his position. Karoline Leavitt, Trump’s national press secretary, stated that the proposal would only apply to the “most thoroughly vetted college graduates who would never undercut American wages or workers.”
She emphasized that Trump’s primary focus remains on securing the border and launching a significant deportation effort. “President Trump has made it clear that on day one of his new administration, he’s going to shut down the border and launch the largest mass deportation effort of illegal aliens in history,” Leavitt reiterated, adding that an “aggressive vetting process” would be implemented to exclude individuals deemed undesirable, such as communists, radical Islamists, and supporters of Hamas.
Leavitt’s statement aimed to mollify the concerns raised by conservative critics, stressing that only highly skilled graduates who can contribute significantly to the U.S. would be considered for the green card program. “He believes, only after such vetting has taken place, we ought to keep the most skilled graduates who can make significant contributions to America,” she said. The incident highlights the challenges Trump faces in balancing the demands of his base with broader policy proposals.
Critics argue that his tendency to make sweeping promises to appeal to various audiences often results in subsequent retractions and clarifications. As Brett Meiselas pointedly noted, “Does this mean that his followers who praised him for the idea because they just agree with whatever he says now agree with his idea to walk it back?”
