President Trump said Thursday that the caravan of migrants headed for the U.S. will be a decisive issue boosting Republicans in the midterm elections.
Democrats hope to gain political advantage from the caravan, which has grown to 4,000 people marching from Central America toward the U.S., but Mr. Trump said Democrats miscalculated the same way they did with their failed all-out offensive to stop the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh.
He said both were “shameful” moves by Democrats.
“This will be an election of Kavanaugh, the caravan, law and order, and common sense. That’s what it is going to be,” he said at a rally in Missoula, Montana.
The president said it wasn’t a coincidence that the caravan was timed to reach the U.S. border close to the Nov. 6 elections.
“They think that is a negative for us,” said Mr. Trump. “Number one, they are being stopped. And number two, regardless, [illegal immigration] is our issue.”
He said Democrats were either cheering on the caravan or involved in its creation.
“They wanted that caravan and there are those who say that caravan didn’t just happen. It didn’t just happen,” said Mr. Trump. “I just want to thank the Mexican government because they are stopping it hopefully before it ever gets to Mexico.”
Mexico stepped up efforts to block the caravan after Mr. Trump threatened to cancel the proposed U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade deal.
Mr. Trump also threatened to cut aid to Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador if the caravan is allowed to reach the U.S. border.
“As you know I am wiling to send the military to defend our southern border if necessary. All caused because of the illegal immigration onslaught brought by Democrats because they refuse to acknowledge or to change the laws,” he said. “They like it. They also figure everybody coming in is going to vote Democrat.”
• S.A. Miller can be reached at smiller@washingtontimes.com.
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