Gillibrand on Earlier Hardline Immigration Positions: ‘I Didn’t Think About Suffering in Other People’s Eyes’

TAPPER: All right. You have said Trump's immigration positions are racist. That's the word you used, racist. 

Now, as you know, you were more conservative early on in your career on immigration. CNN's KFILE is out with a new report this week on your 2008 campaign Web site and a mailer sent from your congressional office back then, a long time ago, but still in your -- in your public life. 

Take a look. You said you were a -- quote -- "firm opponent" of government -- quote -- "amnesty to illegal aliens" -- unquote. You said English should be -- quote -- "the official language of the United States." You called for expediting deportation of undocumented immigrants. I know you have very different positions today. 

GILLIBRAND: Yes. 

TAPPER: But, let me ask you, if Trump's immigration positions are racist, were they racist when you held some of those positions as well? 

GILLIBRAND: They certainly weren't empathetic, and they weren't kind, and I did not think about suffering in other people's lives. 

And one thing I did 10 years ago, when I became senator and was going to represent 20 million people across our state, I recognized that a lot of places in my state were different, and I needed to understand what those constituents needed too. And so I took the time. 

I went down to Brooklyn. I met with Nydia Velazquez, who has been a leader fighting for families for a long time. And I listened. And I realized that things I had said were wrong. I was not caring about others. I was not fighting for other people's kids, the same way I was fighting for my own.