Poll: For many Trump supporters the border wall can wait

Even many Donald Trump supporters are taking a more moderate view about unauthorized immigration. That’s the finding of a new Monmouth University poll.

Poll director Patrick Murray said support for more deportations or building a border wall has declined since the harsh rhetoric of the presidential campaign. Republicans are mainly responsible for that shift.

“They’re not necessarily seeing it as that’s the first thing that needs to be done,” Murray said. “So I think a lot of them have moderated their views and realized there have to be a compromise on this issue about giving America back to these middle class voters.”

Murray said one-fifth of Trump supporters are still taking a hardline position, convinced unauthorized immigrants take jobs from American citizens and hurt the national economy.

“The vast majority of Trump voters are actually moderate on these immigration issues and I’m not even convinced that 21 percent who are hard core would hold it against Trump if he would change his stance. I think a lot of them are looking to Trump for leadership on this,” he said.