John Kelly Acknowledges Trump’s Border Security Stance
In an interview on Thursday, John Kelly, the former Secretary of State and a key figure in the Biden administration’s climate efforts, conceded that President Trump was “right” regarding the importance of border security. This comment, made during a discussion about the challenges facing the Biden administration, pointed to a divide within Democratic perspectives on immigration issues.
Kelly, who previously ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004, reflected on his experience in the Biden administration and expressed that, unlike many of his political peers, he believes Trump’s focus on borders was justified. After stepping down from the Biden team, he took a role with Galvanize Climate Solutions, where he now co-chairs initiatives aimed at investing in global decarbonization projects. His work seeks to align public environmental goals with private sector investment strategies.
“The first thing the president should say is, if the president, or anyone in public life, doesn’t protect the borders, you don’t have a nation. You need a border that means something,” Kelly emphasized. He expressed regret that President Biden hasn’t made stronger statements on enforcing immigration laws.
In a segment on BBC’s “Reflection” podcast, when asked by correspondent James Naughty if Trump’s views on the border issue were accurate, Kelly responded simply, “He was right.”
“We should all have been aligned on this,” he continued. “Instead, we let the situation at the border deteriorate.”
Since the start of Trump’s second term, there’s been a notable spike in illegal crossings at the US-Mexico border. In contrast, during the Biden administration, there has been a significant influx of undocumented migrants from multiple nations. Data from US customs and border security indicated that about 9,000 undocumented individuals were apprehended at the border recently, highlighting a contentious immigration climate.
Additionally, Trump has actively secured funding aimed at completing border wall projects, boosting Border Patrol enforcement, and supporting immigration policy reforms, often referring to it as “one big beautiful bill.” The ongoing debate around these issues continues to shape the political landscape.
