RUSH: This is Sean in Philadelphia. Great to have you on the program, sir. Hello.

CALLER: Hey, Rush. Glad you’re back from vacation. I think it’s actually perfect timing. I’m afraid that this Bannon book stuff is a distraction. I think that the GOP and maybe even Trump want it to be a distraction because I’m afraid that they’re gonna cave on immigration. Because, to me, that’s the most important point right now, and I’m afraid they’re gonna try to cave on immigration like they did with Obamacare.

RUSH: Let me ask you a question.

CALLER: I think Trump just wants to sign something.

RUSH: Okay. Hang on here. Hang on a second here. I’m very sympathetic to your point of view here. In fact, before I left, sometime about a week or so before, we had a caller who wanted my prediction where the Republican or Democrat Party is gonna be in 30 years. And I said, “There’s no way to know. I mean, that’s like asking me what the global temperature is gonna be next week. I can’t tell you.” But I said, “The biggest problem — the biggest problem, the biggest threat this nation faces — is ongoing illegal immigration.”

Because that is going to be what undermines and destroys our culture, our identity, that binds us all together. If there is no assimilation… And that is why Trump was elected. Trump was elected primarily for his insistence that this was gonna stop, that he was gonna build a wall to stop it, and that only people that love this country are gonna get in and the people that got in were gonna become Americans. Now, you know, I had dinner last week with an NFL owner. Get this, now. I’m not gonna name. It doesn’t matter who. And this guy is thanking me for everything I’m doing.

Don’t go away, Sean. This is all part of your call.

CALLER: Okay. Go ahead.

RUSH: And this NFL owner says, “Thank you for what you’re doing for America.” I said, “Well… (stammering).” I was kind of floored by it. I hadn’t expected that. And so, anyway, we began talking about the NFL and things, and the point is we got on to immigration, and I made this point to him: “This is what we face. The biggest threat that we face as a country is illegal immigration.

“We’ve got to get a handle on it because the people coming in are not assimilating. They don’t want to assimilate and so we’re losing our culture. We’re losing that which makes us America.” And then I said to him, “Do you know that from 1921 and 1965 we shut down legal immigration?” And he had no idea. And virtually everybody I say that doesn’t know it.

Everybody I tell that we had 40 years, almost 45 years, of no legal immigration, they don’t believe it. And it’s understandable. The media never reports it. The media treats immigration as a God-given right to every immigrant. That anybody who wants to come in here should damn well be let in here and end of story.

He said, “Why?”

I said, “So that all the immigrants who had come from the late 1800s up to 1920 could be assimilated.” They had to be taught English. They arrived wanting to become Americans, and it took time for that to happen. So they had to learn English. Many of them lived in neighborhoods where they were all together, but they became Americans. It’s why they came. It was a large number of people and in order to maintain control of our culture and country we shut down immigration for 40 years. It was Ted Kennedy in 1965 who revived it. It’s amazing to me how many people don’t know this that are stunned when they hear it.

And the only reason the NFL owner — these people are billionaires, you’d think they know everything. And it’s just amazing how many don’t. Sean, hang on, because I’ve got a question for you. I mean, this has come out of the blue. Here we are talking about everything but illegal immigration, and he thinks that’s why. And I want to know what he knows that we haven’t heard yet. So don’t go away, Sean.

BREAK TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: We’re back to the very patient Sean in Philadelphia. So out of the blue, I mean, we’ve got every other story occupying space today, not illegal immigration. What makes you think Trump’s on the verge of caving to — I mean, you think we’re gonna get amnesty? Is that what you mean?

CALLER: I think we’re gonna get amnesty, and I think we’re not gonna get what we need to fix immigration. This is probably the only shot we’re gonna have, Rush.

RUSH: Okay. Now, what has happened here to make you think this?

CALLER: What he did with Obamacare. You know, he agreed — he let the swamp tell him, “Oh, this bill’s a repeal and replace.” And as you rightly pointed out earlier, it wasn’t a repeal at all. If anything, it enshrined government health care. And I’m afraid he wants — just like your anecdote said before, he told you he was so surprised that people didn’t warm up to him because, you know, he didn’t realize the other half of the country would always hate him, I think he wants to be liked. And I think, you know, who’s in the room talking for us now? They’re in negotiating right now. It’s gonna be McConnell and Ryan and you and I both know they like illegal immigration —

RUSH: Okay, wait, wait, wait. See, that’s what I was getting at. Why were you calling today of all days about illegal immigration when there’s not a single story about it anywhere in the news cycle?

CALLER: On Breitbart there’s a story where it talks about — it shows some of his tweets on immigration, reminding that, hey, this is coming up soon, this immigration battle. And I started looking at these tweets, and I noticed that he’s being particular, and he’s usually not particular about his words in his tweets, but he’s like, “Oh, yeah, we’re definitely gonna get a wall out of this.”

RUSH: All right.

CALLER: Well, the devil’s in the details.

RUSH: Okay.

CALLER: They might give ’em like five miles of wall and call it good.

RUSH: Okay now, hang on. There’s a reason, folks. Nothing randomly happens. We take calls randomly, nothing is staged. But there’s a reason that I have been discussing all this with Sean the way I have. I mean here we’re talking about everything about illegal immigration today, we get a call from a guy who thinks all of this that’s happening today is a giant distraction so that they can do comprehensive immigration reform while nobody’s looking.

And I just happen to have a sound bite here. And Sean’s call is the transition to it. And it’s from this morning. And it’s at the White House. Trump held a meeting with Republican members of the Senate about immigration reform. And we are going to hear on this bite Senator Lindsey Grahamnesty. Here we go.

THE PRESIDENT: Lindsey used to be a great enemy of mine. Now he’s a great friend of mine. I really like Lindsey. Can you believe it? I never thought I’d say that, but I do like him a lot.

GRAHAM: Thank you. I like you, too. (crosstalk)

THE PRESIDENT: So we have something in common already. We all know that.

GRAHAM: Obama couldn’t do it. Bush couldn’t do it. I think you can do it. There’s a deal to be had. If you want it bad enough, we’ll get it and it will be good for the country. Everybody’s gotta give a little bit, but I’ve never been more optimistic about an immigration reform proposal making it to the president’s desk than I am right now.

RUSH: I have this sound bite here, it’s in the roster, it’s number 43 on the roster, now all of a sudden Sean calls, I said, whoa, this was meant to be. So there you go. It’s taken 20 minutes but I just wanted to confirm your instincts. You’re exactly right. Lindsey Graham is saying we’re closer than ever to comprehensive immigration reform than he’s ever seen it.

And just so everybody knows, Lindsey Grahamnesty is an amnesty guy. He he was a partner of Senator McCain’s in that effort, he’s been close to Chuck You Schumer. Now, I don’t know the details in the legislation they’re all talking about here, yet, but in the past, comprehensive immigration reform has always meant amnesty, right, Sean?

CALLER: Absolutely. Always.

RUSH: Why do you think Trump would sell out his voters this way? Are you a Trump supporter? Did you vote for Trump?

CALLER: I voted for Trump.

RUSH: Okay, why do you think he would sell ’em out this way? This is the exact opposite thing he promised if they’re talking amnesty, we don’t know. We’re just assuming ’cause we hear the words “comprehensive immigration reform” in the past, that’s always meant amnesty, folks. That’s Washington-speak for amnesty. Why would Trump sell everybody out this way?

CALLER: The reason is because what he did with Obamacare. Now that established a pattern. He willingly was telling everyone, “Hey, it’s a repeal.” No, it’s not. Everyone knew it wasn’t a repeal. And I’m afraid he’s gonna do the same thing here. “Hey, I got a border wall.” And no one in the media except for you will be pointing out, no, that’s actually not what you promised. They only got 10 miles of wall. Well, we didn’t get E-Verify where they promised they’ll do this next year. You know, we have to do it now, whatever we get, you know, it’s gonna be gotten now or we’re never gonna get it.

RUSH: So you think the excerpt from the Wolff book and all the attention being paid to it is serving as a distraction while they do this behind the scenes?

CALLER: I think they’re gonna use it as a distraction. I don’t think that, you know, they contrived —

RUSH: Right, right, right.

CALLER: — that everybody contrived to do it, but I think they’re gonna use it. I think Trump will use it. You know, if he’s gonna cave like he tried to cave with Obamacare, I think he’ll just keep beating the drum —

RUSH: I don’t think that’s what — the only disagreement I have with you here, and I’ve gotta go ’cause I’m out of time — I don’t think caving on Obamacare was what was happening. I think it was something entirely different. That’s the first three months, the first two months. There was a whole different dynamic going on. I understand your concern, and my explanation may not salve you at all.

BREAK TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: Okay. We have to take the top-of-the-hour break. We come back, just hang in there, folks. I’m gonna try to walk Sean back from the ledge, our last caller from Philadelphia. I don’t think a sellout of immigration is what’s actually going on here. I’ll explain it, what I think is going on — I’m pretty sure — when we get back.

BREAK TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: What’s going on with this immigration business today is what to do about the DREAMers. It’s all about DACA who, by the way, are these young children. You know, they melt your heart. These are the young children that were brought here. These kids — have you seen the story — half of them are illiterate? Can’t speak. Can’t write. They’re not assimilating, the majority of them are not assimilating. Anyway, what is happening here… Remember our previous caller thinks that Trump is on the verge of agreeing to comprehensive immigration reform, which would be a sellout of his campaign assurances and promises.

I asked the caller why. “Well, he was gonna sell us out on the repeal and replace of Obamacare.” He said, “As you correctly pointed out, there wasn’t any repeal of Obamacare in the original bill.” And I said to him there was a different dynamic then. That was what? That was March. Trump’s inaugurated in January. I was up there. It was March 23rd when the actual first — well, the actual final vote on this took place. Of course, it went down in flames. That was a different time than right now.

It was different even than last month when the tax reform bill was passed. And this is not an excuse for Trump. But our caller… It sounded to me like the caller thinks that Trump was purposely betraying a promise to repeal Obamacare from the campaign. And I don’t think that’s what was going on. I think that Trump was hell-bent, he was desirous to set a record to getting major legislation passed sooner than anybody ever had. I think that was the objective. At the time, I don’t think he had a full-fledged understanding of how cooperation, legislation from Capitol Hill to the White House worked.

He was still in training wheels in terms of understanding how the swamp works. And I think he also believed that he was gonna have much more support from his party than he had. I think he was surprised that the Republicans on Capitol Hill were so recalcitrant to working with him. We now know why, by the way. Let’s not forget this. We have learned shortly before the end of the year that for most of last year elected Republicans thought Trump had colluded with Russia and thought he was not gonna make it.

They really thought there was something to that story. When I learned that, I was beside myself. But they believed it. It was in the New York Times. The New York Times is the bible. Our guys, despite their awareness of the unfairness of the media, still can’t comprehend that something like that would be totally made up. Whereas you and I think that the mainstream media makes it up every day, they don’t. They believed! Folks, I think one of the primary reasons — and there are many reasons.

One of the primary reasons there wasn’t any cooperation by Republicans in the House and Senate with Trump early on was they thought he wasn’t gonna make it. They thought he was gonna get impeached, thought he had cheated. They believed the Russian collusion story. Enough of them did. Not all of them, of course, but enough of them did. And I think that one of the reasons toward the end of the year that they joined forces and worked with Trump on tax reform is they finally came to realize that this story’s a hoax.

I think their confidence level went up. Look, there are many elements to this too. That’s not the sole reason why they decided to start cooperating. The legislation itself is distinctly conservative and Republican. I mean, it’s tax reform. It’s difficult for Republicans not to support that. But there were some of them who didn’t want to simply because Trump was behind it. So you go back to March, and I don’t think Trump was trying to sell anybody out. I think Trump was under the impression that what he was getting was good. The bill was called “repeal and replace.”

He was up there. I personally watched him convert 15 or 16 “no” votes to 15 “yes” votes in a room off the Oval Office. It just happened to coincide with our arrival, 5 o’clock in the afternoon on the 23rd of March. At dinner that night, as I mentioned, it was the sole thing going on. People were coming in and out of the room, reporting to him what was going on on Capitol Hill. At that point, I think it was about getting it done. I realize this is not a sterling defense, I mean, ’cause I’m essentially saying here that the president wasn’t fully aware what’s in it.

I don’t think he knew and was selling anybody out. Likewise, I don’t think what’s going on now with these negotiations on the budget and DACA is toward selling out Trump’s voters on comprehensive immigration reform. If you read The Politico today, you find out what’s really going on here, because they’re trying a lot of things here. They’re trying to do a budget and handle what to do about the DREAMers, the DACA group, the young kids.

And the negotiators on the Republican side are expressing frustration because they can’t get specifics from Trump on what he wants in terms of the major immigration bill. And I don’t think it’s much of a mystery to figure out what’s going on here. I think we’re in the midst… Remember, Trump’s on a high now. Trump is on a roll. Forget the Wolff book. We’re on the heels of this major comprehensive tax reform bill having passed. This is a huge… Trump is on a huge upper. Trump is riding the wave right now.

Forget this Wolff book and the excerpts and that stuff. He’s riding the wave. Last week was a great week for Trump at Mar-a-Lago. He’s basking in the glory of it. I mean, this is a major, major achievement, a significant thing. He’s riding the wave on this. He’s occupying a position of strength, in his mind. He’s exhibiting a tremendous amount of confidence here. He’s using the circumstances with the DREAMers and DACA to get exactly what he wants on immigration. I don’t think he’s gonna sell out. If he sells out on…

If we get amnesty with Donald Trump in the White House? Pfft! It doesn’t compute. (sigh) There hasn’t been any evidence in the past 12 months that Trump is doing anything but sticking to his agenda. We’ll just see. But people have been burned so many times by Republicans that even this guy Sean from Philadelphia who voted for Trump… Ah, he didn’t sound like he was an all-in Trumpster, but he’s still holding out the possibility that we could be sold out on this. And I think that’s probably not what’s going on. Trump’s riding high, riding a wave here that is pretty confident he can get what he wants.

Lindsey Grahamnesty is out there saying, “I have never felt closer to comprehensive immigration reform than we are today.” That’s probably trying to push Trump in this direction. You know, these guys think they all know how to play Trump now. All of these people think that to get what they want out of Trump, all they’ve gotta do is just flatter him and praise him. They think that they can get him to do anything they want, that he’s almost childlike in his acceptance of flattery and praise. So they lavish it on and they ladle it on and think they’re gonna get where they want to go as a result of that.

BREAK TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: Here’s Dan in Dallas. You’re next, sir. Great to have you with us on the EIB Network. Hi.

CALLER: Hey, Rush, how you doing? Nice to talk to you.

RUSH: You bet. Thank you, sir.

CALLER: I was talking to Mr. Snerdley about DACA. I’ve been watching the news now for about the past week, week and a half, and Republican strategists, Democratic strategists, they keep saying the American people want this, 80% of Americans polled are in favor of DACA. I talk to friends, families from all political spectrums, we talk about taxes, we talk about the environment, we talk about every subject, but we never talk about DACA. I’m just curious, where did this poll come from, where do they get these numbers from? ‘Cause I just feel like — maybe I’m heartless, but I’m just in the 20% that doesn’t want DACA.

RUSH: You know, polling is becoming an area that has in many people’s view become corrupted and untrustworthy. The last election, presidential election was a sterling example. Most got it way wrong. And the previous elections too. The polling companies say it’s getting harder and harder because people are harder and harder to reach and identify. It’s very rare to see a poll where 80% agree on anything. I myself, I haven’t seen that poll, but my inclination would be to be suspicious of it. I’m suspicious of everything in the media, however. That’s just me. I’m suspicious of everything, everything, without exception. It’s the way you have to be now.