Scott Walker makes a complete clown of himself: Now he says he has no position on birthright citizenship

After calling for end of birthright citizenship, GOP hopeful is out with a new position: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

By Sophia Tesfaye

Senior Politics Editor

Published August 21, 2015 6:17PM (EDT)

  (AP/John Minchillo)
(AP/John Minchillo)

On Monday, after Republican frontrunner Donald Trump released an anti-immigration plan that called for the repeal of 14th Amendment protections for children born to undocumented immigrants, Republican presidential candidate Scott Walker clearly stated that he agreed with the inflammatory suggestion but today the Wisconsin governor appears to be regretting that decision.

On Fox, Walker eagerly told the "Fox and Friends" hosts that his own immigration plan was "similar" to Trump's and then told NBC's Kasie Hunt that he agreed with Trump's extreme proposal to revoke birthright citizenship for the children of undocumented immigrants born in the United States:

KASIE HUNT: Do you think that birthright citizenship should be ended?

SCOTT WALKER: Well, like I said, Harry Reid said it’s not right for this country — I think that’s something we should, yeah, absolutely, going forward —

HUNT: We should end birthright citizenship?

WALKER: Yeah, to me it’s about enforcing the laws in this country. And I’ve been very clear, I think you enforce the laws, and I think it’s important to send a message that we’re going to enforce the laws, no matter how people come here we’re going to enforce the laws in this country.

But by Friday, the wannabe Republican presidential nominee had already changed his mind on this constitutional issue.

"I'm not taking a position on it one way or the other," Walker said in an interview with CNBC's John Harwood today:

Today, Walker said his stance had been misunderstood during a long campaign day involving numerous interviews marked by interruptions.

Walker once stood on the left side of the Republican debate, favoring a path to citizenship for immigrants who entered the country illegally. He has since explained that he changed his mind in response to additional information.

Walker, who titled his recent book "Unintimidated," insisted he had not been intimidated by the blustery Trump or his views.

How exactly to undo 117 years of precedent may have proven too big a challenge for Walker to take on but he's once again backed off a previously held position on immigration. Walker already has a controversial history with the base of his party who still fault the Wisconsin governor for his past support for a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

"You hear some people talk about border security and a wall and all that. To me, I don't know that you need any of that if you had a better, saner way to let people into the country in the first place," Walker said during a 2013 editorial board meeting with a local Wisconsin paper.


By Sophia Tesfaye

Sophia Tesfaye is Salon's senior editor for news and politics, and resides in Washington, D.C. You can find her on Twitter at @SophiaTesfaye.

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