On Wednesday, after embarrassing himself with a desperate impromptu visit to Mexico to meet with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, Donald Trump delivered a speech that killed any illusion that he’s running a moderate campaign.
During his speech, Trump reiterated his promise to build a wall and make Mexico pay for it.
“We will build a great wall along the southern border,” he said to cries of “build the wall” from the boisterous crowd. “And Mexico will pay for the wall.”
He later said the wall would be “impenetrable, physical, tall, powerful, beautiful.”
Trump also dispelled the notion that he would grant undocumented immigrants amnesty.
“There will be no amnesty,” he said, adding that no illegal immigrant would be legalized without first leaving and coming in through the front door.
“For those here illegally today, who are seeking legal status, they will have one route and one route only. To return home and apply for reentry like everybody else under the rules of the new legal immigration system I outlined above,” he said.
Trump’s speech read like a neo-con wish list; he promised to end funding for “sanctuary cities,” end “catch and release,” increase the number of border patrol and ICE agents, and create a deportation task force that will focus on deporting undocumented criminals.
“It’s our right as a sovereign nation to choose immigrants we think are the likeliest to thrive and flourish and love us,” he said.
While his speech lost the support of numerous Hispanic conservatives supporters and surrogates, there was at least one group of Trump supporters who were beyond ecstatic that Trump was once again Trump.
The outspoken queen of the Alt-Right movement Ann Coulter, who’s faith was severely shaken by reports of Trump’s possible softening immigration policy, was over the moon with xenophobic delight. She described Trump’s speech as “the most magnificent speech ever given.”
I hear Churchill had a nice turn of phrase, but Trump's immigration speech is the most magnificent speech ever given.
— Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) September 1, 2016
Fox News’ Lou Dobbs did a little jig as he declared:
“We are Watching A Leader Who for the First Time in Three Presidencies Will Put America and Americans First!”
We are Watching A Leader Who for the First Time in Three Presidencies Will Put America and Americans First! @realDonaldTrump #TrumpPence16
— Lou Dobbs (@LouDobbs) September 1, 2016
Jared Taylor, American white nationalist who’s also the founder and editor of American Renaissance (a site devoted to white supremacy) tweeted:
#TrumpAZ Hell of a speech. Almost perfect. Logical, deeply felt, and powerfully delivered. Now watch how the media twists it.
— Jared Taylor (@jartaylor) September 1, 2016
Taylor opined in a follow-up tweet:
#TrumpAZ Donald Trump has tied our foolish immigration policies to every problem we have. This is a epochal, historic, unprecedented.
— Jared Taylor (@jartaylor) September 1, 2016
Former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard David Duke, who’s currently running for a U.S. Senate seat in Louisiana, also gave Trump’s speech his two big flaming crosses of approval, tweeting:
Excellent speech by Donald Trump tonight. Deport criminal aliens, end catch and release, enforce immigration laws & America First.
— David Duke (@DrDavidDuke) September 1, 2016
The popular Alt-Right website Daily Stormer (founded by neo-Nazi Andrew Anglin) hosted a live-stream of Trump’s speech. It also boasted about Trump Jr.’s retweet of infamous anti-Semite Kevin Macdonald.
White Supremacist Richard B. Spencer, who describes himself as an “identitarian,” the man Glenn Beck’s show labeled as the “Karl Marx of the Alt-Right,” and who once exclaimed: “Race is what matters. I don’t care if an immigrant filled out the paperwork correctly,” tweeted:
Trump is returning to the ideas of the 1924 Immigration Act.
Immigrants will reflect the racial makeup of the country.#AmericaFirst
— Richard B. Spencer (@RichardBSpencer) September 1, 2016
Spencer is also on record calling for the Declaration of Independence to be replaced with a Euro-centric “ethno state.” Before retiring to his cave, the racist tweeted:
Trump Made Trump Trump Again.#TrumpAZ pic.twitter.com/sbFfd2FEaz
— Richard B. Spencer (@RichardBSpencer) September 1, 2016
Trump’s vice presidential running-mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, claims that the Trump campaign does not wish for the support from anyone associated with white supremacy.
Meanwhile, every policy position the billionaire has laid out so far along with his hostile rhetoric, combined with the hiring of Stephen K. Bannon (current chair of the Alt-Right website Breitbart) as his campaign’s CEO, would seem to suggest otherwise.
Donald Trump continues to play footsie with white supremacists while giving lip service to their point of view, and he nor any of his supporters seem to give a damn.
Featured image via YouTube and YouTube
