President Trump’s brain – policy advisor Stephen Miller – briefed White House reporters yesterday on Trump’s plan to cut legal immigration into the United States by half, making the argument that this will spur economic growth and free up more jobs for American workers and legal immigrants already here.
He had a rather contentious session with the White House reporters led by this generation’s Sam Donaldson, CNN’s Jim Acosta, who argued the proposed law was in direct conflict to the Statue of Liberty’s well-known message that we welcome all immigrants to this country – as we have, well, forever.
The proposed legislation also would require legal immigrants to speak English to get their green card – it’s hard not to joke that that requirement should apply also to the President, but I’ll resist the urge.
To support his argument for the various aspects of the proposed law, Miller cited various polls that he said show Americans support basically all the ideas in the proposed law. Each time a reporter pushed back about provisions in the bill, Miller cited a poll to justify the policy.
Now, I see nothing wrong with using polling data to help inform developing policies, though I think there are many other factors that need to be considered. Polls, after all, are a snapshot in time, not as reliable the day after they are taken as the day they are taken.
But I kind of like that the Trump White House is basing its policy-making on what a majority of Americans say in a poll. Assuming they maintain that posture...
If the White House would use polls retroactively there were those polls on the 2016 pre-Election Day....
He had a rather contentious session with the White House reporters led by this generation’s Sam Donaldson, CNN’s Jim Acosta, who argued the proposed law was in direct conflict to the Statue of Liberty’s well-known message that we welcome all immigrants to this country – as we have, well, forever.
The proposed legislation also would require legal immigrants to speak English to get their green card – it’s hard not to joke that that requirement should apply also to the President, but I’ll resist the urge.
To support his argument for the various aspects of the proposed law, Miller cited various polls that he said show Americans support basically all the ideas in the proposed law. Each time a reporter pushed back about provisions in the bill, Miller cited a poll to justify the policy.
Now, I see nothing wrong with using polling data to help inform developing policies, though I think there are many other factors that need to be considered. Polls, after all, are a snapshot in time, not as reliable the day after they are taken as the day they are taken.
But I kind of like that the Trump White House is basing its policy-making on what a majority of Americans say in a poll. Assuming they maintain that posture...
- According to Gallup, most Americans support some form of increased gun control, which seems to fly in the face of the President’s comments that he “loves” the Second Amendment and his bragging that with him in office people can stop worrying about their guns. Except, of course, those who are seeing those guns aimed at them.
- And a recent Pew poll shows that nearly 60 percent of Americans agree that abortions should be legal in all or most cases.
- Another Pew poll shows a majority of Americans think that U.S. trade agreements favor the U.S. more than the other party to the agreement and 44% say free trade agreements have definitely or probably helped their financial situation, while 38% say they have definitely or probably hurt their finances.
If the White House would use polls retroactively there were those polls on the 2016 pre-Election Day....
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