Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) went after Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Thursday, calling support for a bipartisan border security deal his “worst mistake”. He said it was “stunningly stupid.”
McConnell initially supported the border security deal, but it quickly faced stiff opposition from House Republicans after it received support from Democrats, including President Biden. Mr. McConnell then urged Senate Republicans to vote against the bill once it became clear that it would not even be considered in the House.
“What the Senate Republican leadership was basically saying was, ‘We’re in favor of Joe Biden’s two-thirds open borders.’ That was really stupid,” Cruz said Thursday. He said this in an interview on FOX Business Network.
“They released it on Sunday night. And within 24 hours, the bill died because Republicans realized they couldn’t support a bill that kept the borders open,” he continued.
Former President Trump led opposition to the border deal, calling on Republicans to cancel it to prevent Biden and Democrats from achieving political victories on immigration before the 2024 election. Democrats, in turn, have seized on the bill’s failure, painting Republicans as incompetent and uninterested in policy.
Mr. Cruz laid the blame on Mr. McConnell, saying it was “past time” for Mr. McConnell to step down. He has led Senate Republicans since 2007.
“I think there were a lot of big mistakes. But — but this one was the worst,” Cruz said.
“And throughout this fight, he’s been out there, and what he’s saying is benefiting Chuck Schumer and the Democratic Party,” Cruz continued. “Why did Chuck Schumer make this misguided border deal? He knew he wouldn’t compromise anything to actually secure the border.”
“He did it because Schumer wanted this to fail. Why?” he continued. “Because all the Democrats running, all the Democratic Senate candidates, all the Democratic House candidates are now saying, “Oh, we wanted to secure the border, but these mean old Republicans are letting us do it.” ‘And that was shockingly stupid.’
“Mitch McConnell is saying the exact same thing that Chuck Schumer is saying. I think that’s illegal for the leader of the Senate,” Cruz added.
Mr. McConnell has been the longest-serving Congressional leader of either party, but faces declining influence as younger senators with closer ties to Mr. Trump emerge. Many of McConnell’s closest allies throughout his tenure have retired in recent years.
Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), who replaced McConnell ally Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) in 2023, also spoke to McConnell on Tuesday about the border bill. said.
“The leaders really messed this up,” Vance said. “I think they made a series of political claims that would never actually come to fruition. They knew, or at least should have known, that this bill would never actually come to fruition. ”
Sen. Eric Schmidt (R-Missouri), who replaced Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Missouri), another McConnell ally, made similar comments. He claimed the bill’s “wording” was “actually worse than anyone imagined,” adding that the bill was “an utter disaster.”
On Tuesday, Mr. McConnell dismissed Mr. Cruz’s criticism. Senators have long fought over strategy and policy.
“I think we can all agree that Sen. Cruz is not a fan,” McConnell said.
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