Mehdi Hassan

He was running on this issue of Joe Biden didn't secure the border, people were angry, Democrats were angry, Latino communities in border states were angry, and he monopolized that issue and he weaponized that issue.

You look at the polls now,

80% of Americans think immigration is a good thing.

One of the highest numbers since pollsters started measuring that thing.

He's now underwater on even immigration as an issue.

So you could say, well, what happened to the American public between 2024 and 2026?

Well, they saw what happened when you put someone like Trump in charge and they recognize that you cannot treat migrants in this way.

They saw on their street.

That's part of it on the border.

But in terms of, for example, ICE, for example, the handling of migrants, for example, the approval of mass deportations, all down.

And I think that just shows that the American public, which, again, has been lied to for a long time, been very cynical about it.

is a fundamentally generous public that doesn't want children being locked up or pulled away from their parents.

And I think in the UK, I think people do support the idea of refugee status.

The problem is people are misinformed.

You look at all the YouGov polling at what people think is the number of refugees or is the number of immigrants and the actual numbers.

There's a gulf.

Some people in the UK think like this, you know, the 20% of the population are Muslim.

Whatever it is, it's like much smaller proportions.

And I think when I look at that polling that shows what public believe immigration levels are or numbers are versus what they are, I think that tells you everything about the role that misinformation has played in this debate.

And when the media and politicians reduce everything, Emily, back to immigration, I think that becomes a problem.