Trump Would Not Qualify Under His Proposed Immigration Point System
Washington Post Columnist Catherine Rampell observes:
How might President Trump fare in the “merit-based” immigration scheme he just endorsed?
If he were an immigrant, there’s a decent chance he’d get kicked out of the country.
. . .
Age: zero points. People older than 51 don’t earn points. Trump is 71. The best ages to be under this system, by the way, are 26 to 30. (Darn millennials.)
Education: six. Trump has a bachelor’s degree from a U.S. university.
Record of extraordinary achievement: zero. Trump may have starred in a network reality show and (allegedly) sunk 30-foot putts, but what counts as “extraordinary achievement” is limited to two categories.
One is winning a Nobel Prize or comparable recognition in a science or social science field. No luck there, though a certain pseudo-Kenyan predecessor would benefit.
The other is recently winning an Olympic medal (individual event only, no relays!) or placing first in another comparable international athletic event.
English-language ability: zero. To receive points here, you need to score in the top half of those taking an officially sanctioned English proficiency exam, such as the TOEFL.
Success on this exam’s writing section requires using “appropriate word choice,” effectively addressing a topic and displaying “unity, progression and coherence.” Consider how the coiner of “covfefe” might perform.
The TOEFL speaking section includes responding to a simple question prompt. Scoring well requires staying on topic, being intelligible and exhibiting “sustained, coherent discourse.”
Peruse the transcript of Trump’s recent interview with the Wall Street Journal — or any other unscripted conversation, really — to judge how he fares.
Entrepreneurial initiative: 12. Trump gets this for investing at least $1.8 million in a new commercial enterprise in the United States, maintaining this investment for at least three years and playing an active role in the company’s management.
The Trump Organization is not exactly a “new commercial enterprise” — it was founded by Trump’s grandmother, before he was born — but he has a long list of more-recently-created LLCs and other corporations that probably count.
bh