I'm starting to think that Trump made this move partly to get his left-wing opponents to lose credibility with people in the center by doing something with (if you're generous or disinterested) plausible justification.
That is, it's clear to me that people calling this "racist" might even be correct, but it may not matter if it seems like they're calling middle America racist. That looks a lot like being understanding towards Iraqis ("I know you're not all terrorists") while being bigoted towards Americans ("You're clearly all racist!"). Anyway, once that meme (doesn't really like Americans) is implanted, then Trump takes a hit today but get some "marketing" wins in the long run when it comes to other issues coming up (Supreme Court appointments, ACA changes, etc.)
That is, it's clear to me that people calling this "racist" might even be correct, but it may not matter if it seems like they're calling middle America racist. That looks a lot like being understanding towards Iraqis ("I know you're not all terrorists") while being bigoted towards Americans ("You're clearly all racist!"). Anyway, once that meme (doesn't really like Americans) is implanted, then Trump takes a hit today but get some "marketing" wins in the long run when it comes to other issues coming up (Supreme Court appointments, ACA changes, etc.)