Following his recent meeting with his new Hispanic Advisory Council, speculation that Donald Trump is changing his stance on immigration has continued to dominate the news coverage on the nation’s top Hispanic television networks.
However, both Univision and Telemundo have continued their usual pattern of concealing Trump’s intention – articulated by the candidate himself since shortly after launching his presidential campaign last year – that as President he wants to allow most of the current unauthorized immigrant population in the country (individuals and families who are gainfully employed and who are not convicted felons) to quickly return to and resume their lives in the U.S. following their deportation.
Instead, both Univision and Telemundo routinely omit from their reports and panel discussions this important piece of information for their viewers, and parrot Democrat talking points that only mention the deportation part of Trump’s stance on immigration. Over the past year, this has had the obvious effect of continiously reinforcing the Democrat narrative that Trump is “anti-Hispanic” and “anti-immigrant.”
Such was the case in Monday evening’s principal national evening newscasts when both Univision anchor María Elena Salinas and Telemundo anchor José Díaz-Balart emphasized Trump’s “deportation of millions” and “massive deportations.”
MARIA ELENA SALINAS, ANCHOR, UNIVISION: Donald Trump clarified today that he is not changing his position on deporting millions of undocumented immigrants, but suggested that he is evaluating a fairer proposal.
JOSÉ DÍAZ-BALART, ANCHOR, TELEMUNDO: Donald Trump prepares his immigration plan and suddenly he's said there won't be big changes, although he said there would have to be a fairer situation. Obviously, he's brought down the tone, although the big question at this time is what will happen with the repeated announcements of massive deportations.
However, the long season of the media’s incomplete coverage of Trump on immigration appears to be nearing its end, as the candidate prepares to deliver a major policy speech on the subject which is expected to flesh out his plan, while both the RNC and his campaign simultaneously prepare to deploy a cadre of top-flight Hispanic supporters on his behalf.
Top Trump Hispanic surrogates are already stepping up their efforts to bolster the candidate with this segment of the electorate, such as A.J. Delgado with her August 22 Washington Post op-ed titled "Why Latinos should vote for Trump". Of equal interest, leading immigration hardliners, such as the Center for Immigration Policy’s Mark Krikorian, have also signaled their willingness to favorably consider gainfully employed unauthorized immigrants and their families, once tough new measures to enforce the country’s immigration laws – as well as reduce the current levels of legal immigration – are secured.
It’s also worth noting that for over a year now, the Trump campaign position paper on immigration only specifically mentions deportation for “criminal aliens”, a position consistent with his statement in July 2015 that the only people who should be worried are the “bad dudes.”
Below are the transcripts of the two cited reports broadcast on Noticiero Univision and Noticiero Telemundo on August 22:
UNIVISION
NOTICIERO UNIVISION
8/22/16
6:31:08 PM - 6:33:42 PM EST | 2 MIN 33 SEC
JORGE RAMOS, ANCHOR, UNIVISION: Good evening, will Donald Trump change his policy on deportations to win more votes of Latinos? One of his advisers said this weekend that it has not been determined yet if there will be a special police to deport 11 million undocumented immigrants as Trump had said. And some of those attending a meeting with the candidate, Hispanic attendees, believe that Trump could be more lenient with undocumented immigrants more than he’s said before. But the truth, as Lourdes Meluzá says, is that Donald Trump himself has said… nothing.
LOURDES MELUZÁ, CORRESPONDENT, UNIVISION: Donald Trump denied today that he is reversing its position of deporting undocumented million following a meeting this weekend with a group of Hispanic campaign advisers.
LOURDES MELUZÁ, CORRESPONDENT, UNIVISION: [Meluzá translates statement by Trump to Fox News] "I'm not changing drastically, we want to reach a truly fair but firm response," Trump said on the program Fox and Friends. Trump understands that this is an important and complex issue, said one of the 17 Hispanics gathered for an hour and a half with the candidate in the Trump Tower.
JOSÉ FUENTES AGOSTINI, TRUMP HISPANIC ADVISORY COUNCIL: The full range of the problem was discussed...
LOURDES MELUZÁ, CORRESPONDENT, UNIVISION: ... including legalization?
JOSÉ FUENTES AGOSTINI, TRUMP HISPANIC ADVISORY COUNCIL: Any and he showed interest and wanted to hear more about it. That does not mean you've made a decision.
LOURDES MELUZÁ, CORRESPONDENT, UNIVISION: He says that Trump asked them to put on the table all the important issues.
JOSÉ FUENTES AGOSTINI, TRUMP HISPANIC ADVISORY COUNCIL: He did not commit to anything obviously. This was an open discussion of ideas.
LOURDES MELUZÁ, CORRESPONDENT, UNIVISION: Three members of the Republican Party were also present.
SOFIA BOZA, DEPUTY HISPANIC PRESS SECRETARY, REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE: Both immigration touches national security, the economy, these are issues that really need a concrete and once and for all solution.
LOURDES MELUZÁ, CORRESPONDENT, UNIVISION: Deporting undocumented immigrants and build a border wall have been central to the campaign Trump. Will this change?
KELLYANNE CONWAY, TRUMP CAMPAIGN MANAGER: [In English] To be determined.
LOURDES MELUZÁ, CORRESPONDENT, UNIVISION, "To be determined," said her campaign manager Kellyanne Conway. Mike Pence, Trump’s running mate, insisted today on Fox that the message has not changed, and that people are getting to know him better. The National Council of La Raza would not speculate on possible changes.
LOURDES MELUZÁ, CORRESPONDENT, UNIVISION: [Reading statement from the National Council of La Raza] "Mr. Trump has indicated his intention to create an immense ‘deportation force' to deport all undocumented immigrants in the United States with their families who are citizens.”
LOURDES MELUZÁ, CORRESPONDENT, UNIVISION: It is expected that the Republican candidate talk more about the immigration issue this week but it is unknown whether he will reveal details of his plan.
TELEMUNDO
NOTICIERO TELEMUNDO
8/22/16
6:33:06 PM - 6:35:09 PM EST | 2 MIN 2 SEC
JOSÉ DÍAZ-BALART, ANCHOR, TELEMUNDO: Donald Trump prepares his immigration plan and suddenly he's said there won't be big changes, although he said there would have to be a fairer situation. Obviously, he's brought down the tone, although the big question at this time is what will happen with the repeated announcements of massive deportations? And it seems that his repeated threats to deport 11 million undocumented immigrants is what most separates him from the Hispanic vote, as Telemundo News has found on the street. Cristina Londoño has the report.
CRISTINA LONDOÑO, CORRESPONDENT, TELEMUNDO: Maria Sabala says that there is nothing that Donald Trump can say or propose to heal the pain and anger that he’s caused.
MARY SABALA, RESTAURANT LINE COOK: May God forgive him, right? He sees us as a plague, as we Mexicans stink.
CRISTINA LONDOÑO, CORRESPONDENT, TELEMUNDO: Her boss is more open.
UNIDENTIFIED RESTAURANTEUR: It of wise men to change one’s mind.
CRISTINA LONDOÑO, CORRESPONDENT, TELEMUNDO: Ángulo says that if Donald Trump offers a migration proposal without mass deportations, he would vote for him because he is not convinced by Hillary Clinton.
UNIDENTIFIED RESTAURANTEUR: Yes, for everything that has been linked to her and a few lies that have been ... uh, found out.
CRISTINA LONDOÑO, CORRESPONDENT, TELEMUNDO: Among Latinos, Clinton leads him [Trump] by 60 points against the magnate. Donald Trump has a historically low level of popularity among the Hispanic community but despite this, is highly interested in what the candidate has to say.
CRISTINA LONDOÑO, CORRESPONDENT, TELEMUNDO: Besides it being too late, this analyst believes that a radical change may even be dangerous to Trump.
RONALDO BONILLA, POLITICAL ANALYST: First it’s hard to believe that the Latino community will believe him. Number one, it is hard to believe that the base will forgive him.
CRISTINA LONDOÑO, CORRESPONDENT, TELEMUNDO: Bonilla added that the anti-Trump voter will be a definite factor in this election, while this activist fears that many Hispanics beaten on both sides will stay home.
OMAR VAZQUEZ, COMMUNITY ACTIVIST: They're as disappointed by the two parties, one lying - and does not fulfill promises - and the other has the rhetoric of disrepute.
CRISTINA LONDOÑO, CORRESPONDENT, TELEMUNDO: Among the Hispanic electorate the enthusiasm for now is absent.
