Trump Might Take in 3,000 or 10,000 Syrian Refugees

This is the problem with Trump. He says one thing and then another and then a third thing.

First, Trump came out for taking in some Syrian refugees (migrants).

TRUMP: I hate the concept of it but on a humanitarian basis with what's happening, you have to. You know, this was started by President Obama when he didn't go in and do the job when he should have. When he drew the line in the sand which turned out to be a very artificial line.

But, you know, it's living in hell in Syria, there is no question about it. They are living in hell. And something has to be done...

Then Trump came out strongly against Syrian refugees and even called for sending them back.

Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump says if he takes the White House, he will send back Syrian refugees coming to the U.S.
 
“I’m putting the people on notice that are coming here from Syria as part of this mass migration,” he told an audience in Keene, N.H.
 
“If I win, they’re going back. They’re going back. I’m telling you. They’re going back.”

And now a third position...

GOP front-runner Donald Trump says the refugees streaming out of the Middle East are mostly young men who could present a threat to U.S. national security if granted asylum.

“I’ve been watching this migration, and I see these people. I mean, they’re mostly men, and they’re strong men,” Trump said on CBS’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday. “They look like prime-time soldiers.”
“But where are the women?” he asked. “You see some women, you see some children. But for the most part, I’m looking at these strong men. So you ask two things: number one, why aren’t they fighting for their country? And number two, I don’t want these people coming over here.”

Trump said he would begrudgingly accept 3,000 refugees but argued a number like 10,000 or 200,000 could represent a “Trojan horse.”

So why take 3,000? How have we gone from "send them back" to take 3,000?

Here's the Trump transcript.

TRUMP: Letting in that many people.

What they should do is, the countries should all get together, including the Gulf states, who have nothing but money, they should all get together and they should take a big swathe of land in Syria and they do do a safe zone for people, so that they could have a safe -- where they could to live, and then ultimately go back to their country, go back to where they came from.

DICKERSON: Does the U.S. get involved in making that safe zone?

TRUMP: I would help them economically, even though we owe $19 trillion.

What I won't do is take in 200,000 Syrians who could be ISIS. John, I have been watching this migration. And I see the people. I mean, they're men. They're mostly men, and they're strong men. These are physically young, strong men. They look like prime-time soldiers.

Now, it's probably not true, but where are the women? You see some women. You see some children. But for the most part, I'm looking at these strong men. So, you ask two things. Number one, why aren't they fighting for their country? And, number two, I don't want these people coming over here.

And even on a humanitarian -- when I was first asked this question -- you asked it to me a long time ago -- when they were talking about 3,000 people, I begrudgingly would say, oh, maybe, I don't know. Maybe.

DICKERSON: Letting them into the United States.

TRUMP: A little bit. Then they said 10,000, I'm not thrilled, but maybe.

Two hundred thousand people? This could be the greatest Trojan horse. This could make the Trojan horse look like peanuts if these people turned out to be a lot of ISIS.

So why take 3,000? Let alone a maybe on 10,000.

The former “Apprentice” host also said he “might have gone in” to Syria after President Bashar Assad began using chemical weapons on his people.

“Well, you know, the time to have done it would have been when he drew the line in the sand,” Trump said, referring to a statement made by President Obama.

Wait but...

Donald Trump on Friday accused his GOP rivals of seeking to “start World War III over Syria” and suggested the U.S. let Russia take up the fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS)

"They want to start World War III over Syria. Give me a break," Trump said at the State Fairgrounds in Oklahoma City.

Yeah, give me a break.

I'm not trying to bash Trump. I really wish he was who his supporters think he is. I don't expect the average candidate to immediately know all this foreign policy stuff. So asking Trump about assorted Jihadist groups that most people have never heard of does not prove anything. I respected Scott Walker's hesitancy to take positions on international issues he didn't fully understand, though the media and some conservatives called replies like that, 'gaffes'. But once you do take a position, you should stick to it.

I don't expect presidential candidates to already know how to solve Syria. No one knows how to solve Syria. Syria is not really solvable. But Trump could take a consistent position.