Donald Trump and John Kasich rumble over immigration at GOP debate
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
At Tuesday's Fox Business GOP presidential debate, Maria Bartiromo pitched a softball to Donald Trump, asking him if he was a fan of a federal appellate court's ruling against President Obama's plan to shield some illegal immigrants from deportation, and then what he would do about illegal immigration. He reiterated that he would build a "successful" wall between the U.S. and Mexico and deport every illegal immigrant. "They'll have to go out, and they'll come back, but they're going to have to go out, and hopefully they get back," Trump said.
Neil Cavuto tried to pass the question to Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.), but Ohio Gov. John Kasich jumped in. Kasich said that the U.S. needs to control its borders, "but if people think we are going to ship 11 million people who are law-abiding, who are in this country, and somehow pick them up at their house, and ship them out to Mexico? Think about the families! Think about the children." Kasich said the idea that the U.S. can deport 11 million immigrants is "a silly argument, it's not an adult argument. It makes no sense."
Trump responded with a jab at Ohio's economy and a story about President Dwight D. Eisenhower moving 1.5 million illegal immigrants out of the U.S. repeatedly, until they were so far south they couldn't get back. The moderators tried to pass the conversation to Jeb Bush, but Kasich jumped back in to defend Ohio's diversified economy, giving Trump his biggest applause line of the exchange: "You should let Jeb speak." When Bush did speak, he sided with Kasich and said "they're doing high-fives in the Clinton headquarters" because of all the Republicans pushing deportation. Watch Trump and Kasich spar below. Peter Weber
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Political cartoons for February 21Cartoons Saturday’s political cartoons include consequences, secrets, and more
-
Crisis in Cuba: a ‘golden opportunity’ for Washington?Talking Point The Trump administration is applying the pressure, and with Latin America swinging to the right, Havana is becoming more ‘politically isolated’
-
5 thoroughly redacted cartoons about Pam Bondi protecting predatorsCartoons Artists take on the real victim, types of protection, and more
-
Labor secretary’s husband barred amid assault probeSpeed Read Shawn DeRemer, the husband of Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, has been accused of sexual assault
-
Trump touts pledges at 1st Board of Peace meetingSpeed Read At the inaugural meeting, the president announced nine countries have agreed to pledge a combined $7 billion for a Gaza relief package
-
NIH director Bhattacharya tapped as acting CDC headSpeed Read Jay Bhattacharya, a critic of the CDC’s Covid-19 response, will now lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
-
Witkoff and Kushner tackle Ukraine, Iran in GenevaSpeed Read Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held negotiations aimed at securing a nuclear deal with Iran and an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine
-
Pentagon spokesperson forced out as DHS’s resignsSpeed Read Senior military adviser Col. David Butler was fired by Pete Hegseth and Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin is resigning
-
Judge orders Washington slavery exhibit restoredSpeed Read The Trump administration took down displays about slavery at the President’s House Site in Philadelphia
-
Hyatt chair joins growing list of Epstein files losersSpeed Read Thomas Pritzker stepped down as executive chair of the Hyatt Hotels Corporation over his ties with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell
-
Judge blocks Hegseth from punishing Kelly over videoSpeed Read Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushed for the senator to be demoted over a video in which he reminds military officials they should refuse illegal orders
