BYRON YORK: On immigration, Trump goes for it all.
Back in 2015, before the presidential primaries began, a voter asked candidate Donald Trump if he believed compromise should be part of politics.
“Compromise is not a bad word to me,” Trump answered. “But if you are going to compromise, ask for about three times more than you want. You understand? So when you compromise, you get what you want.”
Now, President Trump is engaged in delicate negotiations with Congress over immigration. And he has come up with a deal. On one hand, he’s making a big offer to Democrats: legal status for 1.8 million people in the country illegally, which is more than the 800,000 or so covered by former President Barack Obama’s old Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA — plus a path to citizenship for all of them.
In return, Trump is making a big ask: A fully-funded border wall, strong limits on chain migration, and an end to the visa lottery.
The questions for Democrats: Is Trump asking for three times more than he wants? Can his position be negotiated down? Or is this the deal they should take?
This stuff can be a real art.