- Trump suggested amnesty for illegal immigrants during a conversation, stating he would 'work a deal for them.'
- The White House denied that Trump's comments amount to amnesty, stating: 'The word “amnesty” was never even said in this entire exchange,' via its rapid response X account.
- A community note on X contradicted the White House's denial, quoting Trump saying, 'But people who are here, and in some cases here for 10 or 15 years, work a deal for them.' The contributor asserted, 'That’s the same thing as amnesty.'
- Conservative commentators reacted with outrage, including Megyn Kelly who posted, 'And now amnesty. Seriously?' and Matt Van Swol who said, 'I legitimately fell out of my chair watching this. Is Trump seriously suggesting MASS AMNESTY for illegal aliens??? WHAT?!!!'
- Far-right outlets and politicians condemned the idea, with The Gateway Pundit calling a potential amnesty deal 'The End of America,' while Republican Minnesota state Sen. Michael Holmstrom said, 'Amnesty is a betrayal. America First.'
- James Fishback, a former Republican candidate for Florida governor, called an amnesty deal 'treason.'
Former President Donald Trump's recent remarks about possibly granting amnesty to undocumented immigrants have ignited a fierce backlash from conservative circles. Trump stated, “If they’re good people working in a landscaping company or working in a hotel or doing something and in some cases paying taxes...there’s a large group of people who think that they should be allowed to stay,” which many interpreted as a call for amnesty.
The White House quickly responded, asserting that it was “wrong” to assume Trump would support amnesty, emphasizing that “The word ‘amnesty’ was never even said in this entire exchange,” according to their rapid response account on X. However, this denial did not quell the uproar, as social media users pointed out Trump's own words, stating, “But people who are here, and in some cases here for 10 or 15 years, work a deal for them,” which was labeled as synonymous with amnesty by critics.
Conservative commentators expressed disbelief, with podcaster Megyn Kelly questioning, “And now amnesty. Seriously?” and influencer Matt Van Swol exclaiming, “Is Trump seriously suggesting MASS AMNESTY for illegal aliens??? WHAT?!!!” The backlash included strong denunciations from within the Republican Party, with Minnesota state Senator Michael Holmstrom calling amnesty a “betrayal. America First.” and former gubernatorial candidate James Fishback labeling it “treason.”8
“The White House denied any amnesty mention, but a community note quoted Trump saying 'work a deal for them' for those here 10-15 years. Conservative figures like Megyn Kelly and Matt Van Swol expressed outrage, calling it 'amnesty' and a 'betrayal'.”
The Independent
