Real estate mogul and reality TV star Donald Trump is joining the growing list of Republicans who have been reflecting on the GOP’s rhetoric following their party’s defeat in the 2012 presidential election.
In an interview with News Max, Trump spoke about Republican nominee Mitt Romney’s immigration policy.
He said Romney had “a crazy policy of self-deportation, which was maniacal … It sounded as bad as it was, and he lost all of the Latino vote … He lost the Asian vote. He lost everybody who is inspired to come into this country.”
Trump, who had endorsed Romney for president, also told News Max that “Democrats didn’t have a policy for dealing with illegal immigrants, but what they did have going for them is they weren’t mean-spirited about it.”
Romney first backed “self-deportation” during a Republican primary debate when an audience member asked what he would do with immigrants without green cards that are living in the U.S. as productive members of the society.
He said, “We’re going to have to stop illegal immigration. There are 4 million people who are waiting in line to get here legally. Those who’ve come here illegally take their place. So I will not grant amnesty to those who have come here illegally.”
On election night, Trump went on a Twitter rant after the election was called in favor of President Barack Obama and said the election was “a total sham and a travesty.”