Scott Jennings on Decline of Immigration Polls: When it All Shakes out, Trump Has Effectively Closed the Southern Border

COATES: “So then, Scott, on that point, I mean, this was a in many ways, people believe it was a winning issue for Trump and Republicans, the issue of immigration, being tougher on it. The idea of patience and there being a method to the Madness or the order of which they went about these arrests, is Trump at risk for losing some credibility and capital in this particular arena?”
JENNINGS: “I don‘t think so. I have a different point of view. I actually think it‘s still their best issue. And I think when it all shakes out, what are they going to be able to say? Donald Trump effectively closed the southern border just by taking office and changing the attitude of the federal government. They have deported lots of violent criminals, and frankly, they are sending a different message than the previous administration, you know, the old way was, ‘Hey, just get here and we‘ll find a way and it will probably work out for you.’ The new message is, ‘Don‘t come here. Please, don‘t come here.’ And now people know that we mean it when it all shakes out. I think we‘re going to find that Donald Trump inherited — the biggest mess of all was on immigration. He had the biggest cleanup job to do on it, and he ultimately did what he had to do to bring order to it. I still think it‘s their best issue. I still think they‘re going to lean into it. And obviously, it‘s the issue that motivated his campaign way back in 2015, in the first place, and he stuck with it all the way through. I still think it‘s their number one issue.”
COATES: “Will it be overshadowed by the pressing concerns of the economy?”
JENNINGS: “Of course. Well, it‘s absolutely true, all presidents are judged mostly by what happens on the economy. That‘ll be true for him, too. I mean, if this whole thing works, it‘ll be the ballsiest thing that ever happened. And if it doesn‘t work, well, it‘s his plan. And so, if he has so much confidence in it, though, I just think, you know, when they start rolling out these trade deals and they start getting in, the Congress passes the permanence on the tax cuts, you know, he‘s going to be quite happy with the movement in the polling. I think you‘ll see some improvement.”
COATES: “Ballsy, a new political movement. We’re learning about it here today.”