DONALD Trump seems to be toning it down

DONALD Trump seems to be toning it down with regards to one of his most notorious campaign lines – keeping Muslims out of the United States.

The Republican frontrunner, who has previously said the US should seriously consider “profiling” Muslims, is now shifting his rhetoric and taking a softer, more gentle approach.
He told reporters over the weekend that he will focus on cracking down on immigrants from countries with a proven record of terrorism towards the United States.
“I want terrorists out. I want people that have bad thoughts out. I would limit specific terrorist countries and we know who those terrorist countries are,” he said.

His policy director, Stephen Miller, said: “The best way to prevent continued radicalisation from developing inside America is to suspend temporarily immigration from regions that have been a major source for terrorists and their supporters coming to the US.”
A few hours ago, he took to Twitter to weigh in on the shocking deadly terror attack at Istanbul Airport in Turkey:
His responsive tone is significantly more measured than his reaction to the Orlando shootings two weeks ago, for which he was globally condemned:
Trump also reworked his plan to deport all of the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants living in America as a “mass deportation”.
“I would not call it mass deportations,” he told Bloomberg on Saturday.
He even stressed that his immigration policies would have “heart”. Quick reminder that this is the man who, only a year ago, said the following of Mexican immigrants: “When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re not sending you. They’re not sending you. They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.”

Has Donald Trump softened his stance on immigration?Source:AP

It’s a notable shift from the Trump campaign’s usual, unapologetically revved-up stance against Islam in America.
Just last week, after all, the Republican frontrunner described profiling Muslims as a matter of “common sense”.
“We really have to look at profiling,” he said. “It’s not the worst thing to do.”
He added that he “hates the concept of profiling”, but said “common sense” was more important than “political correctness”.
He also said the government should begin launching investigations into mosques in the US.
Following the Orlando massacre, he sharpened his vow to ban Muslim immigrants and proposed that the US suspend immigration from parts of the world with a “proven history of terrorism”.
In December of last year, Mr Trump called for a “total and complete shut down” of US borders to Muslims in the wake of the San Bernardino terrorist attack.
“Until we are able to determine and understand this problem and the dangerous threat it poses, our country cannot be the victims of horrendous attacks by people that believe only in Jihad, and have no sense of reason or respect for human life,” he said.
WHY THE SUDDEN CHANGE?
There are two things that may explain Trump’s lighter stance.
For one, support for Trump’s party has fallen sharply according to recent polls.
Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton has posted a 11-point lead over Donald Trump, according to the latest Reuters-Ipsos poll.
The poll found 45.3 per cent of American voters would likely vote for her, while 34.1 per cent would support Trump.
Last week, according to an average of opinion polls by specialist website Real Clear Politics, Trump was a good six points behind Hillary Clinton.

Hillary Clinton is well ahead of Donald Trump in the polls.Source:AP

This dive came parallel to the severe criticism he copped over his anti-Muslim comments in the wake of the Orlando massacre.
Further polling has seen a lack of improvement in Trump’s favourability numbers, with six in 10 Americans holding an unfavourable view of him.
The second reason could be due to the recent axing of his campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski.
Reports have suggested Lewandowski was responsible for Trump’s increasingly brash behaviour; sources suggested he encouraged Trump’s most outrageous remarks, from banning to Muslims to his rallying against the Mexican heritage of the Indiana-born federal judge presiding over Trump University.

Corey Lewandowski was reportedly responsible for Trump’s increasingly brash behaviour.Source:AP

Lewandowski was last week replaced by Trump’s chairman and chief strategist Paul Manafort.
According to CNN, Manafort had battled for months with Lewandowski over Trump’s inflammatory remarks, calling on him to soften his rhetoric ahead of the election.
Only time will tell whether Trump’s softer stance is part of a permanent shift, or a momentary break from his usual aggressive rhetoric.
In the meantime, Hillary Clinton has just slammed her opponent alongside fellow Democratic politician Elizabeth Warren, who yesterday warned Americans that Trump will “crush you into the dirt”.
The pair campaigned together for the first time, describing Trump as a “thin-skinned bully”.
“When Donald Trump says he’ll make America great, he means make it even greater for rich guys just like Donald Trump,” she said. “And watch out, because he will crush you into the dirt to get whatever he wants. That’s who he is.”