Trump seems to ease up on immigration; base goes ballistic.

It was bad enough when President Trump accepted the Democrats Schumer-Pelosi suggestion to pair a 90 day extension of the debt ceiling with funding for Hurricane Harvey relief. ["bad enough" = from the point of view of Trump's ultra-right political base.]

But then Wednesday night, over a White House dinner with Schumer and Pelosi, Trump apparently agreed with them again, this time on legislation that would save the DACA Dreamers from deportation, with a path to citizenship, paired with increased money for border security.

The Dems say it was also agreed that the funding for border security could not be used for building a wall.   The White House pushed back on the last point, first saying that was not part of the deal;  then later, saying "there was no deal" at all. Another source said that the president would continue to press for the wall in other avenues.

Either way, Trump's key ultra-right, anti-immigration supporters went ballistic.   Thanks to HuffPost's Willa Frej for this reporting:

"Far-right news outlet Breitbart News ran with the headline, 'Amnesty Don.'"  That was followed by this:  "President Trump signaled a full-fledged cave on the issue of giving amnesty to nearly 800,000 illegal aliens currently protected by an Obama-created executive immigration program."

Best Bud Sean Hannity, Fox News star who usually sides with Trump -- and sometimes leads him -- declared that "it's over" for the president if he abandons his hardline immigration stance.

Iowa's Rep. Steve King, a Trump stalwart in Congress, tweeted that "If AP is correct, Trump base is blown up, destroyed, irreparable, and disillusioned beyond repair.  No promise is credible."   Former Illinois congressman Joe Walsh said that Trump has "screwed his base."

Thursday morning, Trump tweeted out a defensive reminder that the Dreamers were here "through no fault of their own."   Conservative firebrand Ann Coulter fired back:   "Who DOESN'T want Trump impeached?"

Whew !   This is immediate, extremely harsh, and utterly complete.   Trump has a choice.   Work with Democrats and get something half-way responsible done -- or face war and abandonment from the shrinking base he has left.

At least that is the vocal, media or media-friendly opinion shapers on the far-right.   Let's see what the average far-right voters say in a few days.

And, of course, what Trump does now matters.   Will he try to back out?    Or might he really pivot now toward the Democrats?    I occasionally had the fantasy that this least-ideological, most-malleable president could possibly abandon the right-wing and realign himself with a Democrat/Moderate Republican coalition.

Ralph

PS:  As the furor has grown throughout the day on Thursday, Trump has given conflicting statements, denying that any deal was made, insisting he would not do anything without funding for a wall, etc.   Typical chaos of the man who occupies the Oval Office.   He's fast losing the position of "most powerful man in the world," as his word becomes completely unreliable.   Who can trust him?  Now, even his solid base is learning that they can't either.  With this hit-you-in-the-face betrayal, they may start to notice how many other promises he has failed to keep.