Arizona political analysts hear nothing new from Donald Trump in Phoenix speech

PHOENIX — Valley political analysts Chris Herstam and KTAR’s Mike O’Neil said the immigration speech presidential candidate Donald Trump delivered in Phoenix on Wednesday was more of the same from him.

Herstam, who served as state Republican Majority Whip, said Trump’s policy speech won’t pull in Latino or undecided voters and O’Neil said the speech was a rally-the- troops message.

“Trump’s so-called immigration policy speech did nothing to expand his base. It was appealing to the same base that he’s been appealing to from day one and he can’t win the presidency relying on white males,” Herstam said.

“… This was no outreach to the Latino community or any other minority community and he will pay a severe price for this on Nov. 8.”

O’Neil said a fact checker would have a field day with the speech.

“(Trump said) President Obama hasn’t been doing anything about immigration. He’s deported twice as many people as George W. Bush did,” O’Neil said.

“It was just one after the other of statements like that Trump asserts to be true that seem to have no basis in fact beyond other than Trump saying they’re true.”

But the speech capped off a pretty decent day for the GOP presidential nominee, O’Neil said. The trip included meeting with Mexico President Enrique Pena Nieto in Mexico City.

“The question for some time has been, will Trump pivot into a softer stance on immigration and I think the short answer is no.

“He’s trying to find language to describe it in ways that make it seem less extreme and his speech in Phoenix was a good example of that.”

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