NEW ORLEANS — President Trump said Monday that Democrats were playing politics with border security instead of fighting drugs, human trafficking and illegal immigration.
“We can’t stop it if we are going to play politics,” he said in a speech to the 100th annual convention of the American Farm Bureau Foundation.
He said the only reason Democrats oppose a border wall is that they want to make him break his 2016 campaign promise to build it.
“They are only doing this because of the 2020 election. … They view this as a political thing,” he said. “I’m not doing it for that reason. I’m doing it because we have to do it — it’s common sense.”
The speech was dominated by Mr. Trump outlook on the shutdown fight with Democrats over border security. He has been hammering the message that it is a national security fight, but recent polls show Americans increasingly side with Democrats in favor of opening up the government.
Describing the southern border as a source of pain and suffering that impacts all Americans, Mr. Trump said he had a duty to fight for border security.
He talked about the surge of drug addiction across America and how “women and children are being ruthlessly exploited at our southern border by vicious coyotes and human traffickers.”
“We’ll get that stopped. We’re going to have a wall, we’re going to have a barrier,” Mr. Trump said to cheers and applause. “It’s common sense.”
He later added, “When it comes to keeping the American people safe I will never back down. I didn’t want this fight.”
The partial government shutdown entered its 24th day with neither side willing to make concessions. Mr. Trump remained firm in his demand for $5.7 billion for a border barrier and Democrat steadfastly opposed to any more money for a wall.
He put the blame for the shutdown squarely on Democrats.
“The government remains shut down for one reason and one reason only: The Democrats will not fund border security, our safety, our national security,” he said.
Hoping to rally support among farmers in the shutdown standoff, Mr. Trump assured the crowd that tougher border security would be accompanied by an improved guest worker program to supply the agriculture industry.
America’s farming industry relies on guest workers and illegal immigrant labor.
“You need people to help with the farms,” Mr. Trump said. “It’s going to be easier for them to get in [legally] than it is for them now.”
• S.A. Miller contributed to this story from Washington.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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