Newt Gingrich, a seasoned political figure and former US House Speaker, has voiced skepticism regarding Donald Trump's recent immigration proposals. Gingrich, who represented Georgia from 1979 to 1999, served as the House Speaker during the last four years of his tenure. At 81, he remains an influential voice within the Republican Party and maintains a close relationship with Trump. Despite this connection, Gingrich expressed doubts about Trump's suggestion to deport documented immigrants, predicting it will not materialize.
Gingrich, a prolific author and former Republican presidential candidate in 2012, has continued to contribute to public discourse. His latest work, "Journey to America with Newt and Callista Gingrich," explores the stories of immigrants who have significantly impacted U.S. public life. This PBS documentary underscores his nuanced views on immigration, a topic on which he has developed a seven-step plan.
"Lincoln once said that with popular sentiment, anything is possible; without popular sentiment, nothing is possible." – Newt Gingrich
In interviews, Gingrich emphasized his commitment to addressing immigration challenges and highlighted the importance of creating a legal pathway for Dreamers. He stated his position with clarity.
"And I’m for doing the easy first. That’s why we should give [Dreamers] legal status, as a practical matter.” – Newt Gingrich
While Gingrich's stance aligns with some of Trump's policies, he diverges on the issue of mass deportations. He noted that support for such measures could swiftly deteriorate when faced with personal stories of affected individuals.
"Well, you get very many human stories about mothers or babies or children being deported, then support for the deportation program will collapse." – Newt Gingrich
Gingrich also acknowledged the challenges faced by the Trump administration in balancing national security interests with humanitarian concerns.
"…I think [the Trump administration has to] realize that there are gradations here that we’re dealing with, and try to think through, how do you both meet the long-term identity and national security interests of the country and meet the human concerns. And I think it’s a real challenge.” – Newt Gingrich
Despite these challenges, Gingrich remains optimistic that significant deportation efforts will not take place.
"I’d be very surprised if you see any significant effort to change the game for people who are here legally,” – Newt Gingrich
Gingrich's comments come as Trump continues to advocate for policies that would involve deporting both undocumented and documented immigrants. However, Gingrich warns against actions that could lead to family separations.
"I don’t want to be breaking up families, so the only way you don’t break up the family is you keep them together and you have to send them all back.” – Donald Trump