Trump Comes Out Swinging Against Bipartisan Border Bill: It ‘Will Make Republicans Look Bad’
AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall
Former President Donald Trump did little to tamp down questions about the partisan motivations alleged to be fueling his fierce opposition to a bipartisan border bill expected to hit the Senate floor later this week.
The presumptive Republican nominee for a general election just nine months away is fighting tooth and nail to keep Congress from passing a bill that, in the words of one Republican co-sponsor, Senator James Lankford, would close the border.
The border crisis has been a sticky political issue for President Joe Biden, as the influx of undocumented migrants has grown dramatically following his administration’s policies. House Republicans are even bringing forth articles of impeachment against DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas amid the growing disaster of undocumented individuals either seeking asylum or illegally sneaking across the border.
Tough border policies were a hallmark of the Trump administration, which instituted a draconian family separation policy that drew voluminous criticism from the left but praise from supporters who saw them as a deterrent to the tide of migrant “caravans.”
Republican and Democratic senators appear to have found a bipartisan resolution that they believe would effectively close the border. But Trump doesn’t like it and has reportedly directed his congressional surrogates to oppose it so that Democrats and Joe Biden won’t get a political win in November.
On Monday afternoon, Trump raised the concern of an ineffective border on social media, writing, “Millions of people, many from jails and mental institutions located all over the World, that are POURING INTO OUR COUNTRY. It is an INVASION the likes of which no Country has ever had to endure.” And yet he then followed by seemingly prioritizing partisan gains over a bipartisan policy. Trump wrote:
A Border Bill is not necessary to stop the millions of people, many from jails and mental institutions located all over the World, that are POURING INTO OUR COUNTRY. It is an INVASION the likes of which no Country has ever had to endure. It is not sustainable or affordable, and will, under Crooked Joe Biden, ONLY GET WORSE. I had the safest and most secure Border in U.S. History. I didn’t need a “Bill!” They are using this horrific Senate Bill as a way of being able to put the BORDER DISASTER onto the shoulders of the Republicans. The Democrats BROKE THE BORDER, they should fix it. NO LEGISLATION IS NEEDED, IT’S ALREADY THERE!!!
Roughly an hour later, he added:
I didn’t need a big, complex Democrat-oriented Border Bill, which will make Republicans look bad, I just closed the Border, and had, by far, the Safest Border in the History of our Country!
This border bill “which will make Republicans look bad,” Trump said, making it clear what is a priority in his eyes.
Senator Lankford defended the bill and lashed out at Republicans dragging their heels on this new policy during an appearance on Fox News Sunday with anchor Shannon Bream.
“A lot of Republicans are saying [President Biden] has things he could use now, executive powers and laws that are not being enforced,” Bream said. “So why give him this in an election year? The cover of this deal that critics say is still going to let a lot of people in, but he gets to take a victory lap that he’s gotten something done.”
Lankford flat-out ripped his Republican colleagues in response.
“It’s definitely not going to let a bunch of people in,” Lankford said. “It’s focused on actually turning people around on it. It is interesting, Republicans four months ago would not give funding for Ukraine, for Israel, and for our southern border because we demanded changes in policy. So we actually locked arms together and said, ‘We’re not going to give you money for this. We want a change in law.’ And now it’s interesting, a few months later, when we’re finally going to the end, they’re like, ‘Oh, just kidding. I actually don’t want a change in law because it’s a presidential election year.’”
