
Brooks and Capehart on the overwhelmed immigration system
Clip: 12/22/2023 | 11m 14sVideo has Closed Captions
Brooks and Capehart on the political pressure of the overwhelmed immigration system
New York Times columnist David Brooks and Washington Post associate editor Jonathan Capehart join Amna Nawaz to discuss the week in politics, including the overwhelmed immigration system and the Colorado ruling to keep Donald Trump off the primary ballot.
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Major corporate funding for the PBS News Hour is provided by BDO, BNSF, Consumer Cellular, American Cruise Lines, and Raymond James. Funding for the PBS NewsHour Weekend is provided by...

Brooks and Capehart on the overwhelmed immigration system
Clip: 12/22/2023 | 11m 14sVideo has Closed Captions
New York Times columnist David Brooks and Washington Post associate editor Jonathan Capehart join Amna Nawaz to discuss the week in politics, including the overwhelmed immigration system and the Colorado ruling to keep Donald Trump off the primary ballot.
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipand new details about his efforts# to overturn the last election.
To discuss it all, we turn now to the analysis# of Brooks and Capehart.
That is Ne columnist David Brooks and Jonathan Capehart,# associate editor for The Washington Post.
Good to see you both.
JONATHAN CAPEHART: Y again.
The Senate went home without a deal of# border policy wrapped up with foreign aid funding.
In the meantime, immigration as an# issue, as a concern for Americans,## has been rising.
In some recent polling by Gallup,# you see, when people are asked what they think the## most important problem the country is facing# right now, the top one is government and poor## leadership at 19 percent.
Immigration a second at# 15 percent, followed by the economy and inflation.
Jonathan, the negotiators from# the Senate who went home still## have a chance to continue talking.
Do# you see them getting any JONATHAN CAPEHART: In the spirit# of Christmas, I want to say yes,## but by the time they get something# done, Christmas will have come and gone.
And so, look, this much, I know.
They are# trying.
They are trying very hard.
Th I also know.
If they do indeed come up with# a deal, it's going to be a deal that folks## in the far right are going to hate, because it# doesn't go far enough from their perspective,## and those on the left and# within the Democratic Party,## their hair is going to be on fire,# because it probably will go too far.
But because it is attached to aid# to Ukraine and Israel and Taiwan,## the imperative to getting this done is# so high that I think the negotiators## are going to come up with a bill that is# going to require a lot of people on both## sides of the aisle to swallow a bitter# pill if they want to get this done.
AMNA NAWAZ: You agree with that?
DAVID BROO immigration bill than we have been# since the Bush administr Just a lot of people have a lot they need# from this bill.
The Biden admi is now just way behind on immigration.
Biden# was slightly behind immigration he 's like 30 points behind.
Among immigrants# themselves, people who personally came over## to this country, Biden had a 20-point lead.# Among immigrants now, now it's even with Trump.
And so the political pressure is just awesome.# And then you look at Chuck Schumer and Mitch## McConnell, Kyrsten Sinema.
Everyone is# sort of saying the right things.
And,## of course, the details are the details,# the immigration issue being what it is.
But I just think so many different constituencies# get something out of this I don't know more likely than not,# but more than we have seen in decades.
AMNA NAWAZ: The cynical view here is, the# longer it's a prob can leverage it and say it's Biden's problem and# not want to fix it DAVID BROOKS: Yes.
Well, obviously,# there's some truth to having an issue.
But I think, for Kyrsten Sinema, people lik or the individual House members, and you look# at how people are reacting on the border where## they go to the grocery store and there's# no food because they have been swamped,## they can't get in the yard, like, people# are having real in these towns that are overwhelmed, to me,# those people are not looking for an issue.
Those are looking for some help.
JONATHAN CAPEHART: And I agree with you on that.
But let's talk about an even mo from their states to Northern cities, to# cities that are run by Democratic mayors,## and thus using immigrants and using# human beings for political purposes,## using them as pawns in their political games.
And I think that's also why we see concern# about immigration rising up to the top,## including in places like New York City,# which Republicans like to deride it as,## well, you're a sanctuary city,# well, you should take care of this.
But in order for those things to work, things# need to work at the border.
And so problem that is not one of President Biden's# making.
To your point, this is something -- we## haven't been this close to an immigration deal# since President George W. Bush, the Republican,## but this is something that has bedeviled# both Republican and Democratic presidents,## simply because the incentives have not# really been there to do anything about it.
AMNA NAWAZ: And we cannot# say enough nothing changes## substantially at the border until Co JONATHAN CAPEHART: Right.
AMNA NAWAZ: We have to undersco Meanwhile, all of these on a lot of the anti-immigrant messaging.
He# has been employing, he's been echoin propaganda by repeatedly saying immigrants are# -- quote -- "poisoning the blood of our country."
We have got just over three weeks to go# before the Iowa caucuses.
And I need to## point out that that language is actually# resonating among l Take a look at this latest poll from The Des# Moines Register and NBC in Iowa.
They found## 42 percent say those comments actually make them# more likely to vote for former President Trump.
Jonathan, what do you make of that?
JONATHAN CAPEHART: I'm not It takes me back to the 2016 campaign,## when there were a lot of stories that# quoted people who went to hi Why do you like Donald Trump?
He says what# we're all thinking.
He says what I can't say.
And left me to wonder, well, what can't you say?# He's called Mexicans rapists.
He's called for a## Muslim ban.
This was during his campaign.
He's# been -- he was president for four years.
So we## know what his thinking is.
And in these# rallies where he talks about immigrants,## he's talking about poisoning the blood# of our country, and he spells out they're## coming from Africa, they're coming from# Asia, they're coming from South America.
What he doesn't say is, they're# coming from Europe.
For him,## immigrants are people who come from# anywhere that's basically Black or## brown.
And let's not forget what he said# when he was president of the United States,## how he derided immigrants from country from# -- quote, unquote -- "S-hole countries."
So we know what his viewpoint is.
And so# the fact that he is using this -- the -- I## was about to say this Hitleresque# language, we should take that very## seriously.
He's saying it over and over and# over again.
And it is terrible for political## discourse.
It is terrible for a country that# is built by immigrants and enslaved labor.
AMNA NAWAZ: David.
Donald Trump has a talent for tapping into# some of the darker undergrou American history, America first, nativism,# Know Nothing-ism.
And this is an example.
But we shouldn't ignore the fact -- the# statistic I said a couple of minutes ago,## which is that his support among immigrants# themselves is surging.
And so ac tual issue here.
And so, in my view,# anytime he talks about immigrants,## he's probably going to get -- you're# going to get that 42 percent number.
And then you got to remember 42 percent, at least,## of Iowan Republican Caucus-goers are Trump# supporte no matter what, when a reporter comes# up.
So, A, I think it's abhorrent.
But## we shouldn't reduce the whole issue to those# abhorrent comments, those Nazi-like comments,## that there actually is a core problem here# that people are really resonating with.
AMNA NAWAZ: I do want to get you both to# weigh in on the issue out of Colorado a the Supreme Court there weighing in and# basically saying Mr. Trump is to appear on their primary ballot, citing the# Insurrection Clause of the 14th Amendment.
We know there's similar legal# efforts under way in a number## of states.
So this is likely# headed for the Supreme Court.
But, Jonathan, is this an issue that you think# the courts JONATHAN CAPEHART: Yes.
(L JONATHAN CAPEHART: Yes.
In the s ort term one, the guy is at least right now leading in the# polls.
He is on his way, quite possibly, to become## the next Republican nominee.
And we're less than a# year out.
So the voters should have a say in this.
At the same time, I say, yes, that the courts# should have a say, because this is a question## that has not been tested yet.
And I don't# think, even though the framers foresaw a## Trump-like character coming -- coming -- at least# trying to come into power in American politics,## that person has never tested the# system the way Donald Trump has.
The system has never been required to answer the# question until now.
And so I think, jus good of the country, let's have this conversation.# These two things can happen at the same time.
AMNA NAWAZ: You agree with that, David?
DAVID BR DAVID BROOKS: No.
AMNA NAWAZ DAVID BROOKS: Ye across every Western country?
It's because# a lot of people in a lot me included, think a highly educated# cohort of, in this case Americans,## have created a hereditary meritocratic# class.
They have too -- they have a lot## of education.
They now have a lot# of cultural power.
They control the## media.
They control the universities.# They increasingly And a lot of Americans say they have too# much power.
We're going to be We're going to have an uprising.
And# then you have a series of ju their Ivy League law degrees who come# in and say, sorry, we're taking your## guy off the ballot?
That would explode this# country and, in my v the most dubious possible circumstances,# for kicking off for the Insurrection Act.
Has he been convicted of the -- of# offending the Insurrection Act?
Has## he been even charged with violating# the Insurrection Act?
No.
And so,## to me, it would look like and I think would be# just an elite power grab to deny people their## democratic rights.
I assume the Supreme Court# will throw this out anyway.
But that's my view.
AMNA NAWAZ: And we should point out# there's divergence among opinions,## even for those who don't believe# that he should n he's unfit to be president.
So I'm sure it's# something we're goin You have a quick point to make?
Yes, please.
JONATHAN CAPEHART: Yes.
Yes, AM NA NAWAZ: Worth noting.
Thank you for that.
Look, we are heading of the toughest issues of our time,# which we so appreciate, every week,## but it is the season of peace, goodwill# towards men and women, also the season of I need to ask you both, what is it# that gives you hope in this moment?
JONATHAN CAPEHART: Oh, I was going# to go to David first.
But I... (LAUGHTER) JONATHAN CAPEHART: No.
that there's some folks who don't# -- who might not agree with that,## but the American electorate in 2022, during# the midterm they are nuanced and sophisticated and# can walk and chew gum at the same time.
They might not like the economy, but# they don't like what Republicans had## in store for the country and they blunted# the red wave.
It is the American electorate one year from# now will have saved American democracy,## will have saved the idea of democracy for# the rest of the world.
That is my hope.
AMNA NAWAZ: David.
You know the# dancing Santa in t the -- how can you not be hopeful So I'm just filled with ecstatic exuberance.
(LAUGHTER) AMNA NAWAZ: I did not think this was going to end with you imitating a David Brooks, Jonathan# Capehart, thank you so much.
JONATHAN CAPEHART: Thanks, Amna.
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