Donald Trump found himself in the hot seat over his proposal to deport 11 million illegal immigrants as Ohio Governor John Kasich ridiculed the Republican front-runner’s plan and said it was childish.
‘Come on folks, we all know that we can’t pick them up and ship them back across the border,’ he charged. ‘It’s a silly argument. It’s not an adult argument.’
Trump again said, during yesterday evening’s GOP debate, that some illegal immigrants who are kicked out will be able to come back, ‘but they have to go out.’
‘And we have no choice,’ he said.
As the fight with Kasich went on, Trump lost his temper and proclaimed, ‘I built an unbelievable company worth billions and billions of dollars. I don’t have to hear from this guy.’
The attack drew boos from the audience.
Trump was asked about his immigration plan, which has been the subject of controversy since the day he entered the race, in the context of an appeals court ruling blocking President Barack Obama’s immigration orders.
‘I was so happy yesterday when I saw that decision come down. That was an unbelievable decision,’ Trump said.
The billionaire claimed that Obama made unilateral changes to the immigration system ‘because nobody wants to listen to him, including the Democrats, so he just goes around signing executive orders.’
Illegal immigration into the country must be stopped, Trump said, because it’s hurting the nation economically and leading to more drug use in the United States.
We are a country of laws. We need borders. We will have a wall, the wall will be built, the wall will be successful,’ he declared.
Continuing, he said, ‘I know you think walls don’t work.’
‘All you have to do is ask Israel. The wall works,’ he said, when ‘properly done.’
Kasich was not asked about immigration, yet interjected to say the government needs to regain control of the border.
‘But if people think that we are going to ship 11 million people who are law abiding, who are in this country, and some how pick them up at their house and ship them to Mexico….think about the families, think about the children.’
That’s not realistic, Kasich suggested.
If they are law abiding, they get to stay, we protect the wall,’ he said. ‘If anybody else comes over, they go back.’
Trump fired back at him and said, ‘You’re lucky in Ohio that you struck oil, that’s for one thing.’
He was referring to The Buckeye State’s fracking boom.
Earlier in the debate, Kasich got into a minor spat with Jeb Bush and he tried to take another turn at bat after having two hits already when the former Florida governor to that point had none.
‘I got about four minutes last debate – I’m gonna get my question now,’ Bush barked at him.
As Kasich battled Trump later, the moderators tried to move on and Bush tried to get a word edgewise, but the Ohio governor wouldn’t let up.
‘You should let Jeb speak,’ Trump remarked.
When Bush finally had his chance, he facetiously said, ‘Thank you Donald for allowing me to speak at the debate, that’s really nice of you, what a generous man you are.’