On Friday’s “PBS NewsHour,” New York Times columnist David Brooks stated that 2024 Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump’s proposal to give green cards to foreign nationals who graduate from American colleges makes sense and Trump is “a politician, even though he pretends not to be, and he’s saying the things” that would make “the rich guys” he was talking to at the time “as happy as it’s possible to be.” And because Trump’s “a business executive” and “immigration is good for business.”

Brooks said he “sort of” believes Trump is sincere with the proposal and the plan is “common sense.”

He added, “I believe him because he’s a business executive. He was in conversation, at that moment, with two tech executives, and that’s their number one issue. And so, he’s, A. An executive, immigration is good for business. … And B. He’s talking — he’s a politician, even though he pretends not to be, and he’s saying the things that’ll make the people — the rich guys he’s talking to as happy as it’s possible to be. Third, I observe the phenomenon that MAGA has moved a lot in the last three or four years, further to the right, way further to the right than it was, and way further to the right than Donald Trump is. And that’s true on abortion. That’s true on immigration. That’s true on a range of issues. So, he is now looking a lot more flexible on all sorts of issues than his movement.”

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett