A version of this story appeared in the daily Threat Status newsletter from The Washington Times. Click here to receive Threat Status delivered directly to your inbox each weekday.
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer on Friday said the southern border is “Joe Biden’s crime scene” and predicted voters will reward the GOP in November for its efforts to try to plug the illegal immigration flood.
The Minnesota Republican, in an interview with The Washington Times, also challenged Mr. Biden’s assertion during his border trip Thursday that a bipartisan border deal could be passed in Congress if only former President Donald Trump would stay out of it or, better yet, embrace it.
“Is this the deal that you couldn’t even get senators to bring to the floor?” Mr. Emmer said. “There is no Senate deal. The only deal that’s out there is what House Republicans have given this administration for months.”
Besides, he added: “If you have Donald Trump, you really don’t need Joe Biden, do we?”
Mr. Emmer spoke to The Times after the president took his second trip to the border in three years, visiting a relatively calm section where he got what officials described as an “operational briefing.” Mr. Biden then made public remarks pleading for Congress to revive the border deal that was doomed in a bipartisan filibuster last month.
Mr. Trump was also at the border, visiting a more active area and meeting with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Brandon Judd, president of the National Border Patrol Council, to talk solutions.
Mr. Emmer said the former president won the duel.
“President Biden is the one who opened up this border. I would argue President Donald Trump was going down to Joe Biden’s crime scene yesterday because that’s exactly what it is,” the congressman said.
He also said Mr. Biden’s choice to visit a “sanitized situation” at the border and not to address the spate of crimes attributed to immigrants doesn’t bode well for the president.
“Frankly, from a campaign standpoint, I like the idea because it shows one guy who’s fit and ready to be president again, and it shows another guy who’s not fit,” the congressman said.
Mr. Emmer is the top vote counter for House Republicans.
He pointed to HR 2, the House GOP’s ante in the border security debate, which called for restarting work on the wall, clamping down on catch-and-release, tightening asylum rules and reviving Mr. Trump’s Remain in Mexico policy.
That legislation cleared the House on a near-party-line vote last year.
Mr. Emmer said if it were brought to the floor now, some Democrats would vote for it, particularly in border districts and major urban areas where crime is rampant.
“Since that bill was passed out of the House last May, immigration combined with crime has become the most toxic campaign issue in all of these districts,” he said.
One indication of that came this week when Sen. John Fetterman, Pennsylvania Democrat and a hero to many on the left, told Fox News he would be willing to consider passing HR 2 almost in its entirety as part of a deal on funding U.S. assistance for Israel and Ukraine.
Rep. Chip Roy, Texas Republican, likes that offer.
“I’d be happy to talk to Fetterman,” he said Thursday on Fox News’ Guy Benson radio show.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.