Former President Trump on Monday slammed the bipartisan border deal and criticized the lead negotiator, Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.), for his role in brokering the deal.
In an interview on “The Dan Bongino Show,” President Trump denied supporting Lankford’s candidacy in 2022, despite his public statements, and expressed concern that Lankford would be up for re-election in 2028. He did not rule out the possibility that he would support his main opponent.
Asked if he supported Lankford’s Senate primary challenge, President Trump said of Lankford, “I think this is a very bad bill for his career, especially in Oklahoma.”
“I won Oklahoma,” President Trump said. “I know those people. They’re great people. They’re not going to be happy about this. No one’s going to be happy about this, but the people of Oklahoma are serious MAGAs. , serious people. Dan, they’re not going to be happy when they see this. It’s crazy. This is crazy, this bill.”
Senate negotiators released a 370-page national security bill Sunday night after months of negotiations. The bill includes sweeping changes aimed at increasing enforcement at the U.S.-Mexico border, as well as funding for Ukraine, Israel and other foreign policy priorities.
The border section includes provisions to raise standards for asylum screening, process applications more quickly, eliminate the practice known as “catch and release,” and set standards for border crossings. gives the administration new emergency powers to close the border to most migrants if It also aims to make it easier for immigrants to obtain work permits and eliminate immigration court holds.
The bill faces significant opposition from progressives in Congress and Mr. Trump’s allies, and House Republican leaders have said the bill will die once it reaches the House floor. Still, the Senate is scheduled to take its first procedural vote on the bill this week.
Ahead of the release of the bill’s text, President Trump attacked the bill’s potential, touting it as a political victory for Democrats heading into the 2024 elections, a message he repeated in an interview Monday.
“This is a gift to Democrats, and in some ways it shifts the worst border in history onto the shoulders of Republicans. That’s what they really want. They want this for the presidential election. And now we can blame Republicans for the worst border in history,” Trump said.
Mr. Lankford fiercely defended the bill, saying Mr. Trump would have the tools to control the border once he returns to the White House. He also lamented that House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) rushed to vote down the bill before he even had a chance to read it.
“A key aspect of this issue is that, again, we Republicans are holding press conferences complaining about the bad conditions at the border, and then deliberately closing the border after December, the worst month in American history. Are we going to stay open?” Lankford said in an interview on “Fox & Friends” on Monday.
“Now we actually have to decide, do we just complain about things? Are we actually going to… change as many things as we can given the chance?” he added. .
“Some Republicans said, ‘This is going to make Joe Biden complete.'” [on immigration]. ” I don’t think anyone sees Joe Biden as a border security president. I just don’t think that’s possible. Because what we’ve seen over the past three years is an open border unlike anything our country has ever seen. So even if this bill passes, I don’t think everyone will suddenly think he’s the savior of border closures,” Lankford told reporters last week.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
