Donald Trump's Iowa co-chair thinks his immigration plan is "a big mistake"
Donald Trump has insisted on the campaign trail that the immigration plan he rolled out earlier this week is being well-received. Yet one person not on board is a key member of his own campaign team.
One of Trump's Iowa co-chairs, Richard Thornton, criticized the immigration policy in an interview with the Des Moines Register.
"On illegal immigration, he wants to gather up the families and ship them out? That was a boondoggle. The caucusgoers are like, 'What?' That was a big mistake."
Trump boasts one of the largest field operations in Iowa - roughly ten paid staffers and growing. In the interview, Thornton, a longtime Iowa lawyer and lobbyist, went on to say that Trump's best message was to focus on the economy.
In a press conference Wednesday in New Hampshire, Trump continued to defend his plan.
"I don't think I'm mean spirited, we have to get back our country," Trump said. "It's based on laws. These are illegal -- Now, people like to say 'undocumented,' because that's politically correct. I don't say that -- people came in illegally. Some are excellent, wonderful. But they have to go out. They have to come in legally. We can even expedite the process. I think that's fine. I like that."
Trump has also been criticized for his use of the term "anchor baby" in describing his position on ending birthright citizenship. He has brushed aside those criticisms as political correctness.
"A woman is going to have a baby," Trump said on Wednesday. "They wait on the border. Just before the baby, they come over to the border. They have the baby in the United States. We now take care of that baby. Social Security, Medicare, education. Give me a break. It doesn't work that way. The parents have to come in legally."
CBS News has reached out to the Trump campaign for comment.