Trump spokeswoman to CNN: ‘He hasn’t changed his position on immigration, he’s changed the words that he is saying’

Will any group of people ever eclipse Trumpites in producing golden moments on cable news?

Moments ago on CNN, the topic was, of course, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s allegedly softening stance on immigration. He has shifted his rhetoric from a primary-campaign hard-liner riffing about building a wall and uprooting 11 million undocumented immigrants via a “deportation force,” to something that sounds a great deal different. “When I look at the rooms and I have this all over, now everybody agrees we get the bad ones out,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News’s Sean Hannity. “But when I go through and I meet thousands and thousands of people on this subject … they’ve said, Mr. Trump, I love you, but to take a person that has been here for 15 or 20 years and throw them and the family out, it’s so tough, Mr. Trump.”

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On deportation, Trump said, “We want to follow the laws. You know, we have very strong laws.”

Host Erica Hill pressed Trump campaign spokeswoman Katrina Pierson on the evolution: “How do you square those two? He said very specifically, yes, he’s gonna still build the wall. But he said, and I’m quoting, ‘I just want to follow the law. We’ll work with them.’ That’s a big change.”

Then Pierson went for the headliner: “He hasn’t changed his position on immigration, he’s changed the words that he is saying.” Chuckles erupted on the CNN panel.

For context, Pierson noted, “What he has always said from the beginning is that he does not want to allow people to stay in this country illegally. He does want to build a wall, but he wants to work with Congress to get things done.” Hill stayed on the topic, noting that this is a change, or an evolution or whatever. “No, Erica, it’s the how that’s being discussed now. He’s always said if they’re here illegally, they have to go.” But what about the different message? “There’s not a different message. He’s using different words to give that message,” argued Pierson.

Unbeatable, vintage Pierson — a ridiculous talking point repeated for clarity and absurdity.