After the wave of controversy surrounding Donald Trump’s comments on immigration, Trump is not backing down. And neither are his people.
In an interview with CNN’s “New Day,” Special Counsel to Donald Trump Michael Cohen defended the infamous line from Trump’s presidential announcement that has caused an ongoing uproar: “When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best … They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists.”
Cohen said that Trump was not wrong to make these comments. Here are some highlights from his argument:
He was talking about Mexico, not Mexicans
“Mr. Trump never made any derogatory or disparaging comments about Mexican immigrants … He was talking about Mexico,” Cohen said. “They’re allowing people to pour through their borders and that’s a problem for our national security.”
He is a voice for ‘silent majority”
Cohen dismissed the notion that Trump is a demagogue, feeding into angry voters.
“Donald Trump is actually the voice of the silent majority, and I think he’s awoken that silent majority,” Cohen said. “People are very angry and the people who are the most angry are actually the legal immigrants who see their jobs fleeing.”
And when asked whether on Trump’s tweets linking the escape of Mexican drug lord El Chapo’s to illegal immigration are productive, Cohen said that Trump’s point is that the Mexican government is corrupt.
“That’s what he’s been saying for a long time … I’m not saying he’s the first and I’m not saying he’s the last but he’s the one with biggest voice and he’s saying it today and that’s important,” Cohen said.
Cohen added that Trump is “a good man. He’s a man who cares deeply about this country and his theme of ‘Make America Great Again’ is something that he is 100 percent adamant on accomplishing.”
Trump does not need to apologize
Asked whether Trump should apologize to the Latino community, Cohen said no because “He didn’t insult anybody.”
“Many of them are using the language and the unfortunate liberal media’s attack upon Mr. Trump to go ahead and jump all over him,” Cohen said.
Trump loves legal immigrants
“Donald Trump is a champion for legal immigrants,” Cohen said and added that Trump’s family comes from “a series of legal immigrants, from his father, to his current wife.”
GOP was not ready for Trump
Cohen said that while Trump’s comments that rapists and drug dealers are crossing the border “may not be nice,” but they happen “to be potentially and partially, true.”
“What Donald Trump has done is he sparked a conversation about really, immigration reform and that’s something that I don’t think the Republican Party was prepared at this time for,” Cohen said.