In an interview with The Brody File, libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson says he won't use the term, "illegal immigrants" because it's not helpful in bringing about solutions on immigration.
"Why on earth would I ever use that term again if it enraged anyone for that matter? Because now, all of a sudden they're not going to listen to anything I have to say," he said.
Johnson also wouldn't admit immigrants are coming here illegally. Instead he says, "they have come here because it was impossible to get a work visa."
The Brody File crew did this interview Monday afternoon in Philadelphia.
Johnson has been getting some decent traction in some states like New Hampshire, Arizona, and New Mexico, where he is a former two-time successful governor. He understands he'll need more name recognition to climb.
If he gets to 15 percent nationally he'll make the cut for the presidential debates. Right now he's hovering around 10 percent. Johnson is fiscally conservative, socially liberal and a non-interventionist. In other words, he's pure libertarian.
David Brody: "I saw a clip of you getting a little frustrated, to say it mildly, when it came to a reporter that talked about 'illegal' immigrants, and boy that set you off."
Gary Johnson: "As Christians, this is the way I have lived my life. I hear somebody that I've just met, I hear him called 'Butch' by six different people, and I say, 'Hey, you know Butch?' 'Hey, don't call me Butch, I hate being called Butch' I would never, ever call him 'Butch' again, ever! Because he is not going to respect me if I call him Butch.
So talking about 'illegal' immigration, that infuriates us Hispanic citizens. Why on earth would I ever use that term again if it enraged anyone for that matter? Because now, all of a sudden they're not going to listen to anything I have to say. They would like this phenomenon referred to as 'undocumented workers' use the term 'undocumented workers' and now you can have a dialogue with us Hispanics... Why would you want to make anyone angry than have a dialogue?
Brody: "Okay, we will go with 'undocumented' but they did come to this country illegally. I am not calling them illegal immigrants but they have come here illegally.”
Johnson: "Well, they have come here because it was impossible to get a work visa. Jobs existed that U.S. citizens were not taking; no way you could get across the border, if it were you and I looking out for our families we'd done the same thing… You just make it as easy as possible to be able to get a work visa.
"A work visa should entail a background check, a social security card that applicable taxes get paid. With regard to 11 million in undocumented workers that are here now, you should set up a very easy way for any of them to come in the door and get a work visa as long as they have been law abiding.
"I'm not talking about citizenship either. There should be a pathway to citizenship but that's part of comprehensive immigration reform. But just the whole worker visa phenomenon and why there are 11 million undocumented workers in this country."