Arizona GOPers expecting details in Trump’s immigration speech in Phoenix
Aug 31, 2016, 1:15 PM
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at Xfinity Arena of Everett, Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2016, in Everett, Wash. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
PHOENIX — Like the rest of the United States, Republican politicians are gearing up to hear their party’s presidential nominee Donald Trump lay out his immigration policy in a speech in Phoenix on Wednesday.
“I think [Wednesday]’s speech will be a very, very important – if not historic – speech about an issue that Donald Trump almost singularly put at the center of the national debate,” Trump’s vice presidential candidate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, told CNN.
Pence will attend the 6 p.m. speech at the Phoenix Convention Center, along with Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey and former Gov. Jan Brewer.
There is no question Trump’s speech will play a significant part in the remainder of his campaign. The New York billionaire took a hard-line stance on immigration and illegal immigrants earlier this year, but has possibly softened that stance over the past weeks.
His campaign COO, Arizona Treasurer Jeff DeWit, said Trump’s speech will be more about the nuts and bolts of his clearly-stated immigration plan.
“He believes in a strong border, he believes in America first,” DeWit told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Bruce St. James and Pamela Hughes on Tuesday. “Nothing in his policy has changed. He wants to enforce the laws that are on the books.”
However, DeWit said Trump has already given a few details that are part of his plan.
“He’s talked about how we’re going to build a wall, he’s talked about the height of the wall,” DeWit said. “He is a construction guy.”
But the rest of those nuts and bolts have not yet been made clear. Brewer told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Mac & Gaydos on Tuesday that she hopes voters have a clearer picture of the plan after Wednesday.
“I’ve not seen the speech, but from every indication that I’ve got and from everything that he has said publicly and on Twitter … I think it’s going to be a policy (speech), in-depth and that people will know exactly where he is going,” she said.
Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) said he wants to see clarification on border policies.
“Mr. Trump’s speech is going to be vital because he gets the bottom line right and that is the national security implications of border security,” he told Fox Business.
Brewer said she is sure the speech will be scripted, though she would not be stunned should he deviate slightly.
“Donald Trump is Donald Trump,” she said.
KTAR News 92.3 FM will carry Trump’s speech live about 6 p.m. Click here to listen.
