The Hill
Trump calls border bill ‘a Death Wish’ for Republican Party: ‘Don’t be STUPID!!!’
Brett Samuels February 5, 2024
Former President Trump excoriated a bipartisan border security bill put forward by senators, calling it a “Death Wish” for the GOP on Monday, hours after it was released.
“Only a fool, or a Radical Left Democrat, would vote for this horrendous Border Bill, which only gives Shutdown Authority after 5000 Encounters a day, when we already have the right to CLOSE THE BORDER NOW, which must be done,” Trump wrote on Truth Social of the legislation, which was crafted in part by conservative Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.).
“This Bill is a great gift to the Democrats, and a Death Wish for The Republican Party. It takes the HORRIBLE JOB the Democrats have done on Immigration and the Border, absolves them, and puts it all squarely on the shoulders of Republicans,” Trump continued. “Don’t be STUPID!!! We need a separate Border and Immigration bill. It should not be tied to foreign aid in any way, shape or form!”
Trump’s opposition further complicates the path forward for the legislation, which was already facing pushback from Republicans in the House.
The legislation unveiled Sunday night included $20 billion for border security. It would give the federal government temporary authority to expel migrants when the average number of daily crossings exceeds a set threshold, end “catch and release,” raise standards for asylum screenings and seek to process claims quicker, among other provisions.
The bill also includes national security funding in the form of $60 billion for Ukraine, $14.1 billion for Israel, aid for Indo-Pacific allies.
Republicans had insisted that any aid for Ukraine be paired with legislation to address the southern border, but Trump’s post Monday indicated any Ukraine funding may be a non-starter.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) slammed the border deal Sunday, writing that it is “even worse than we expected” and declaring it “dead on arrival” in the House.
Democrats have for weeks argued Trump has pushed back against the prospect of any compromise on the border because the former president believes it would be a political win for President Biden. Trump has repeatedly hammered Biden over the flow of migrants at the southern border, and polling has shown voters trust Trump more on immigration and the border.