OPINION:
President Donald Trump, on the cusp of duking it out with Congress — Democrats, mostly, but several Republicans, also, who’ve jumped ship on his border national emergency declaration — said in a press conference from the White House that America’s immigration laws are “stupid,” “ridiculous” and must change.
Right-o on that.
Republicans had a good chance of tightening border controls for more than a year, when both House and Senate were held in GOP control. But they failed.
Now Democrats in the House are going to stymie pretty much any type of crack-down at the border that comes from this president.
And a total of seven Republicans in the Senate, including Sens. Rand Paul and Lamar Alexander, have indicated opposition to Trump’s emergency declaration — meaning, it won’t have the necessary congressional votes to pass.
Trump, in his presser, shrugged and said he’d veto.
He said the world was laughing at America’s immigration policies right now because those who do manage to sneak across the border aren’t immediately deported, but rather treated to a series of conciliatory legal roll-outs.
“In our country, because the laws are so ridiculous, because the laws are so stupid we have to give them a trial,” Trump said. “We have the most ridiculous set of laws.”
Too true.
America is one large welcome mat for all the downtrodden of the world — and truly, that’s a good thing, so long as laws are abided and justice observed.
And in the conservative mind: Border laws are just because they ensure the good of the country, the good of America’s citizenry, is the priority.
Democrats, the left, the new socialists of the party — even some in the Republican Party, it seems — just can’t get that.
Thus, as Trump predicted: “I think it’s going to be a great election this year.”
He’s right; immigration, once again, will take front and center. On that, on national security and citizens’ safety, Republicans — not Democrats — rule.
• Cheryl Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com or on Twitter, @ckchumley.
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