Donald Trump stated Wednesday that Vice President Kamala Harris would not have planned a trip to Mexico’s border with the U.S. if he was not going there next week.
“After months of neglecting the crisis at South Border, Kamala Harris finally went to see the immense destruction and death they’ve caused–a direct result of Biden’s very tough but fair Border policies,” said the former president in a statement.
Trump said, “If Governor Abbott, and I were not going there next week,”
On Wednesday, the office of the vice president confirmed that Harris would travel to El Paso (Texas) on Friday. Alejandro Mayorkas, Homeland Secretary, will accompany Harris.
President Joe Biden selected Harris to head the administration’s efforts to reduce migration. This year, the U.S.-Mexico border saw a record number of migrants, mostly from Central America. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (the largest number in 20 years), there were 180,034 border crossings in the last month.
Republicans have criticized Harris for not visiting the border. Harris was asked questions about the border during her first international trip to Guatemala, Mexico, and Mexico earlier this month.
Harris initially denied that she would go to the border. However, Harris later told reporters in Guatemala that it would be a “grand gesture” to do so. Harris later said that she would go to the border when NBC News asked her about the matter.
Trump had earlier announced that he accepted an invitation by Texas Governor Greg Abbott for a visit to the border on June 30, 2017. Politico reported that about a dozen GOP House members plan to accompany the former president on his trip.
Abbott recently directed the state to build a wall along its border with Mexico. This is a continuation Trump’s promise. The state has provided a $250 million “down payment”, and nearly $400,000 has been donated by the public to the project.
Trump, Abbott, and other Republicans have criticised the Biden administration’s decision to relax immigration restrictions in the wake of the recent migrant wave. Representative Jim Banks, an Indiana Republican, spoke out to say that the lawmakers will explain how they can end “this national embarrassment”.
“Harris was awarded the strongest Border in American History, while Biden was given it. Trump stated Wednesday that it was the worst border in American history.
