OPINION:
For whatever reason, Democrats don’t give the impression of caring a whit about the state of national security — which, if you carry that to its natural conclusion, would mean they don’t care much about the safety and security of American citizens, either.
How else to describe their dug-in resistance to the border security America so desperately needs?
In a widely watched, widely reported White House sit-down of President Donald Trump with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, it’s not Trump who comes across as out of touch with the American people.
It’s the Democrats.
Once again, Schumer and Pelosi, speaking on behalf of their party faithful, have tipped their hats more toward political expediency than citizen safety and security. Schumer thinks by goading Trump into admitting a willingness to shut down the government over border control actually sends a message to the American people of this president’s unbalanced state of politicking. But it’s the opposite.
When Trump tells Schumer, “If we don’t have border security, we’ll shut down the government” and later, “I am proud to shut down the government for border security,” it’s not Schumer who looks good or Trump who looks bad.
It’s Schumer who looks weak and Trump who looks strong.
It’s Schumer who comes across as a nail-biting politician, a willow in the wind, afraid to take a stand on principle — and Trump who, once again, appears the bold leader unafraid to force the squishy-squashy ruling class to put people over politics for a higher cause.
That higher cause, in case you missed it, is national security.
You know, the issue Democrats keep pretending isn’t tied to border control?
Honestly, with Strasbourg in chaos over a Christmas market shooting, and France authorities hunting the terror-watch-listed suspect — who reportedly screamed a version of “God is great” while carrying out his murderous deeds — you’d think Democrats might take a moment to pause and reflect on the message they’re sending the American people.
Democrats, the very Democrats who once voted for tighter border control via the Secure Fence Act of 2006, are now fighting for the opposite side, for the open border advocates of the world. So what’s changed, in the last decade, to push the left to resist, resist, resist all things border control?
Certainly not the security needs of a nation. If anything, that need’s ratcheted in recent times.
What’s changed are the political winds. And Democrats, who rarely stand for principle, are simply being blown by these winds to oppose what they themselves once supported.
It’s become painfully obvious — even more so with this recent Trump-Schumer-Pelosi powwow: For the left, national security is a matter of bargain, barter, debate, trade and sale. It’s never simply about protecting the citizens.
• Cheryl Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com or on Twitter, @ckchumley.
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