Trump tells GOP to hold off on immigration legislation.
WASHINGTON — President Trump on Friday told his fellow Republicans in Congress to “stop wasting their time” on immigration legislation until after the November elections. GOP leaders said they’d press on anyway, but his comments further damaged their attempt to win over wavering lawmakers for a measure already facing likely defeat.
A little more than four months before the congressional elections, Trump also took a new shot at Democratic lawmakers, accusing them of spreading “phony stories of sadness and grief” about young immigrants separated from parents by his “zero tolerance” policy on illegal border crossings.
Trump’s tweet on immigration legislation was the latest example of his abrupt reversals on issues, to the dismay of Republicans who crave his backing as a seal of approval for conservative voters. Just Tuesday, he met privately with GOP lawmakers and told them he supported the immigration legislation and would have their backs in November.
“Republicans should stop wasting their time on Immigration until after we elect more Senators and Congressmen/ women in November,” he tweeted. “Dems are just playing games, have no intention of doing anything to solve this decades old problem. We can pass great legislation after the Red Wave!”
Trump’s history of turnabouts has made it harder for congressional leaders to win over other lawmakers for the immigration bill. The measure would grant young “Dreamer” immigrants who arrived in the U. S. illegally as children a chance for citizenship — a move many Republicans worry would enrage conservative voters who’d view it as amnesty.
Despite Trump’s stance, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R- Bakersfield, said the chamber would press ahead on legislation next week. Differences between conservative and moderate Republicans delayed a vote initially planned for Thursday.