Trump, aiming to widen support, makes pitch to Hispanics

TAMPA, Florida (AP) — Visiting a battleground state he can't afford to lose, Donald Trump promised Hispanics "a much better life" Wednesday in a Florida speech that continued his recent effort to soften his tone and broaden his support 11 weeks before the presidential election.

[...] in an interview, he suggested he would "work with" some of the immigrants in the United States illegally, stopping short of proposing a legal path to remaining in the country but suggesting a startling about-face from his previous hard-line mass deportation proposal.

Yet the Republican presidential candidate also repeated his promise to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border to keep out immigrants, underscoring the tricky balancing act he faces in retaining backing from conservatives while beckoning to moderates for their votes.

At a rally later Wednesday in Jackson, Mississippi, Trump repeated his claim that Democratic rival Hillary Clinton "is a bigot who sees people of color only as votes."

In Jackson, Trump said, "Any immigration policy I support as president must pass these three tests," before broadly saying it must improve the wages, safety and quality of life of U.S. citizens.

Trump aides confirmed he will soon tour churches, local businesses and charter schools in black and Hispanic urban neighborhoods.

The National Rifle Association's political victory fund has reserved about $2.7 million in TV commercials in September and October, Kantar Media's political ad tracker shows.