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Trump backs away from Mexican wall promise

The softening of his proposed wall pledge is Donald Trump's second backflip since being elected.

The softening of his proposed wall pledge is Donald Trump's second backflip since being elected. Photo: Getty

President-elect Donald Trump is backing away from his promise to build a wall on the US-Mexican border, saying some areas could instead be “fencing”, adding he will deport up to 3 million immigrants in the country illegally who have criminal records.

Mr Trump, who made his pledge to force Mexico to pay for a border wall a centrepiece of his White House campaign, said “for certain areas” he would accept fencing instead of a brick-and-mortar wall, according to excerpts released on Sunday of his interview with 60 Minutes.

“But certain areas, a wall is more appropriate. I’m very good at this, it’s called construction, there could be some fencing,” the New York real estate developer said.

Mr Trump, who defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton in Tuesday’s election and replaces Democratic President Barack Obama on January 20, also said once he takes office he would remove immigrants in the country illegally with criminal records.

“What we are going to do is get the people that are criminal and have criminal records, gang members, drug dealers, where a lot of these people, probably two million, it could be even three million, we are getting them out of our country or we are going to incarcerate. But we’re getting them out of our country,” he said.

During the campaign, Mr Trump said he would deport the estimated 11 million immigrants in the country illegally, most of whom are Hispanic.

In calling for the construction of a border wall, Mr Trump said Mexico was sending criminals and rapists into the United States.

Mr Trump and his senior advisers have signalled they could be flexible on some of his campaign promises once he takes office.

Republican House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan, who will play a key role in getting Mr Trump’s agenda through the Republican-led Congress, backed away from Mr Trump’s promise during the campaign of a “deportation force” to round up and deport immigrants in the country illegally.

Kevin McCarthy, the No. 2 House Republican, said on Fox News Sunday that the wall with Mexico could in parts be a “virtual” wall patrolled by drones.

On Sunday, senior adviser Kellyanne Conway indicated Mr Trump would be results-oriented as he chooses his top aides, prepares his transition to the White House and gets ready to work with Congress.

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