The White House is telling Republicans to refine their immigration messaging as the party stares down the midterm elections, a tacit acknowledgement that its hardline rhetoric about mass deportation risks alienating voters.
White House deputy chief of staff James Blair told House Republicans in a closed-door meeting at their retreat Tuesday that their messaging on deportations should focus on efforts to remove criminals from the US, a person familiar with his comments told Semafor (comments first reported by Axios).
House Speaker Mike Johnson also seemed to acknowledge the rhetoric is a vulnerability, telling reporters: “We got a little hiccup with some of the Hispanic, Latino voters for certain, because some of the immigration enforcement was viewed to be overzealous.”
Blair already seems to be testing out the new messaging.
However, some think softening their words could backfire with Trump’s base.