They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people. Donald Trump started his presidential campaign with a warning: that undocumented immigrants were bringing mayhem, crime and drugs to the United States. I want to build a wall. And it’s a real wall. This is a wall that’s a heck of a lot higher than the ceiling you’re looking at. He even said that if necessary he would use a “deportation force.” There will be a deportation. But it’s going to be done in a very humane fashion. Last December, Mr. Trump also shook the political world with another provocative policy. Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States. Many Republicans thought those ideas were too harsh, unworkable or unconstitutional. And for what purpose? Muslim terrorists would only have to lie about their religion to enter the country. Mitt Romney Former Republican presidential nominee And it would take decades to do that, and gazillions of dollars. Bill O’Reilly Fox News host But Mr. Trump stuck with them, and they helped him win the Republican nomination. Now that he’s facing more moderate general election voters, he appears to be changing his mind. The Muslim ban? Nobody’s done it. This is just a suggestion. And Mr. Trump is changing his tune about who he wants to deport, saying these days that the focus should be on criminals — We have these killers in this country, they’re heading up gangs ... — not nice families who have been living in the country for years without causing problems. These were great people. These are highly respected people within the community. So you have somebody that’s been in the country for 20 years — do we tell these people to get out, number one, or do we work with them and let them stay in some form. The shift puts Mr. Trump in an awkward position with less than three months until the election. He hasn’t changed his position on immigration. He’s changed the words that he is saying. What he has always said from the beginning is that he does not — that he, no, that he does not ... Even Trump’s biggest boosters in conservative media have been scratching their heads and expressing worry that the Republican nominee is now in favor of amnesty. The only thing that can cause Trump any trouble whatsoever is if he flip-flops on abortion or on immigration and goes amnesty — and it looks like he’s getting close to it. Rush Limbaugh Radio host No, I’m not flip-flopping. We want to come up with a really fair but firm answer — it has to be very firm. Trump supporters have stuck with him through pretty much everything in the last year. So it’s hard to say if going back on an issue that’s been so central to his campaign will matter. The big question is whether his base will be turned off, or if a suddenly softer tone will help him attract new voters. [Crowd: “Build the wall! Build the wall!”]