- Joining the conversationis A.B. Stoddard

with RealClearPolitics.

A.B., good to have you.

You know, the Trump administration,

they're taking a lot of heatfor this green card crackdown.

- Well, I think that it's not surprising

that the president continues to try to act

by executive order without negotiations

with the Congress on this issue.

It is a big, importantpolicy priority for him

going into reelection, andhe is trying to energize

this sentiment aboutimmigration among his voters.

He has talked for a whileabout merit-based immigration

and how we should be bringing in people

who are ready to do jobs.

There are actually a lot of voters

in the mainstream of the electorate

who don't support Donald Trump

who also support merit-based immigration.

I think that the way thathe continues on this issue

to be divisive with his rhetoric

and to sort of not embrace a sit-down

with the separate and co-equal branch

makes it more of a political liability

in terms of the peoplewho are opposing him

and Democrats out on theprimary campaign trail

talking about his crueltyand his divisiveness.

Where, is this is actuallya proposal that if it,

if it was on the tableamong other provisions

in an immigration package,it might be watered down,

but it might actuallyend up being included.

It's the way that hedrops these policy bombs

by executive action and thensort of prompts a reaction

from Democrats that makesit more controversial

and unpopular than it probably would be

in a different setting.

- Marc, the point youhear people make out there

is that the base of theStatue of Liberty says

give me your poor, give me your tired,

and critics say that Acting Director

of Citizenship andImmigration Ken Cuccinelli

has basically rewritten those words

to say we're looking for those

who stand on their own two feet.

Is this a sign of changing times?

- You know, I think one thingthat would be a surprise

probably to a lot of your viewers

is that this administrationactually naturalized

more citizens last yearthan the 10 year average,

including the eight yearsof the Obama administration.

I think this administration welcomes those

who come to this country to work

and I think that thepresident wants to embrace,

we want to embrace lawful reform.

And you know, one thingI would take issue with

that A.B. laid out as the former head

of Legislative Affairsfor this White House,

I tried to get Democrats,on many occasions,

to partner with us on immigration reform.

But I think it's an issuethat's so politicized today

that there's not an effort

to try to negotiate on these terms.

And so we've pleaded withDemocrats on several occasions

to give us more beds forthe crisis at the border.

We've pleaded with themto give us the tools

we think we need toenforce immigration laws.

And sadly, there isn't the cooperation

that we wish there was on these issues.

- Another issue that has bothsides divided, gun control.

The president made a boldcall for gun control measures

on Friday.

A.B., how does he play thiswith his conservative base?

- Okay, so this is an issue

like what Marc pointed out on immigration.

He had a deal on the table with Democrats,

a DACA deal for border wall funding,

and he walked away from itbecause the amnesty crowd,

people who perceive any kindof legalization of anything,

especially for Dreamers, isamnesty, brought him back.

He was at the table on guncontrol after Parkland.

I thought that he exhibitedvery brave leadership

bringing the Parkland students,

the survivors into the White House,

sitting there on camera wherethey could've screamed at him

and challenged him publicly.

He was all on board forstrong background checks,

all sorts of things.

He even mentioned confiscation

at one televised meeting with Democrats.

But then he walked it all back

and admitted that the NRAhad influenced his positions.

When he has Rush Limbaugh saying

that if he gets to the leftof the NRA and his voters,

he's gonna lose reelection

just like George Herbert Walker Bush did

when he raised taxes.

These are the pressures he'll be under,

and this is why everyone is so skeptical

that he actually willcome around in September

to background checks that he's saying

he's supporting now.- Marc, how does

the administration thread the needle

on such a delicate issue?

- Well I think we,first, should step back.

I think that, one of the things

you heard the vice presidentsay in remarks last week

is that when you drive Godout of the public square

and you drive him out of public schools,

there has been a moraldecay in our country

and I think that is a root of the problem.

And too often, we'remisdiagnosing the problem.

Specific to guns,

I do think that there's probably,actually more opportunity

for compromise on thisissue in the weeks ahead

and I think that you will seelegislation move in September.