It’s no secret that Republicans view the chaotic situation at the southwest border as an opportunity to attack President Biden. Those on the right have been lining up to criticize him and call it a crisis in front of every microphone and camera they can find.
The White House has carefully avoided using the “C” word to describe the problems at the border. In an interview that aired today on Good Morning America, the president stopped short of using that term and instead said it was a “surge.”
Despite what the president is saying, a Democrat has broken ranks and used the word that’s been verboten on the left. Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia spoke to CNN this week about the growing influx of immigrants, especially children, at the border.
“Whatever message was sent — it was sure interpreted the wrong way…It’s a crisis — oh it’s a crisis.”
Manchin seemed to be suggesting that Biden’s messaging about immigration, which is miles apart from his predecessor’s policies, has been misinterpreted. Whatever the case, it seems clear there is unrest within the Democratic Party about Biden’s border strategy.
Right now, more than 4,000 unaccompanied minors are in Border Patrol custody. They’re waiting to be moved to shelters that can better accommodate children. That’s left the president wide open for criticism from the right.
Greg Sargent argues in a Washington Post Op/Ed that media coverage of the current situation isn’t putting Biden’s response in proper perspective. In his piece, he writes that Biden is essentially trying to undo the mess caused by Trump’s heavy-handed border policies.
“The situation under former president Donald Trump was substantially worse from a humanitarian and a pragmatic governing perspective: worse for the migrants, worse for the rule of law and worse for our country.”
In the ABC interview today, Biden himself pointed out he inherited this issue saying, “There was a surge in the last two years. In ’19 and ’20, there was a surge, as well.”