Kelly: Trump Campaign Stances 'Uninformed'

He says the president's views on immigration are 'evolving'
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 18, 2018 4:34 AM CST
Kelly: Trump's Views on Immigration Are 'Evolving'
White House chief of staff John Kelly stands to leave after appearing on Special Report with Bret Baier on Fox News in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2018.   (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

After a year in office, President Trump's views on immigration are still "evolving," and some of the promises he made during his campaign were "uninformed," according to White House chief of staff John Kelly. Insiders tell the Washington Post that during a closed-door meeting with Democrats and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Wednesday, Kelly said a physical wall along the entire border with Mexico will never be built and Mexico won't pay for it. Kelly "specifically said that there's some areas of the border that didn't need the wall, and that the president didn't know that when he was making his campaign promise," Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego tells the AP. Kelly told the lawmakers he had helped Trump "evolve" on issues including the wall and DACA.

New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez tells CNN that the meeting was "cordial," though it was mostly just a "regurgitation" of the positions of both sides. On Fox later Wednesday, Kelly explained his remarks, saying Trump "has evolved in the way he looks at things." He said: "Campaign to governing are two different things, and this president has been very flexible in terms of what’s in the realm of the possible." Kelly added that there is "no doubt" in his mind that a permanent deal to protect around 700,000 people covered by DACA will be reached soon, as long as both sides are willing to talk. Democrats are seeking a deal on DACA before they vote for a bill to avoid a government shutdown. Government funding is set to run out Friday and the two sides are still far apart, Politico notes (More immigration stories.)

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