Republican senators outraged as President Trump destroys tenuous immigration compromise

Senate Republican leaders say Donald Trump has undermined a new bipartisan agreement on the southern border, deprived them of important legislative gains on pressing national priorities, and threatened to undermine Trump’s future as a likely presidential candidate. People are furious that it may have been a foreshadowing of what was to come.

Trump has in recent weeks, both in private conversations and in public statements on social media, urged Republicans to oppose the border compromise that is being carefully debated in the Senate, according to Republican officials familiar with the conversations. They’re doing lobbying, and one of the reasons they’re doing that is because President Trump wants to campaign. They don’t want President Joe Biden to win in politically vulnerable areas.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell acknowledged in a closed session Wednesday that President Trump’s hostility to the unannounced border deal is putting Republicans in a dire straits as they try to move forward on an already complex issue. . Republicans have warned for weeks that Trump’s opposition could undermine the bipartisan proposal, given that McConnell has been a leading advocate of Ukraine border policy. The admission was particularly shocking.

Now, Republicans on Capitol Hill are grappling with the reality that most Republicans are Republicans. He is loathe to do anything that could be seen as potentially undermining the former president. And the prospect that the deal could be scrapped before it’s finalized is causing tension and confusion as Senate Republicans grapple with whether and how to proceed. Although he made it clear at Thursday’s party luncheon that his position was firm, attendees said it was an effort to build consensus.

“I think the border is a very important issue for Donald Trump. And he doesn’t want us to solve the border problem because he wants to blame Biden for the border problem, Republican senators and House Republicans. The fact that we’re going to tell members of Congress… it’s really scary,” said Republican Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah. An outspoken critic of Trump.

He added, “But the reality is that there is a crisis at the border, and the American people are suffering as a result of what is happening at the border. And someone who is not going to solve the problem runs for president.” Instead of saying, “Hey, save that issue.” Don’t settle. Please give me credit for solving it later. ”

Sen. Todd Young, Republican of Indiana, called any attempt to derail the ongoing negotiations “tragic,” adding, “I hope no one tries to take this away for a campaign.” ” he said.

“I encourage (Senate Republican Chief Negotiator) James Lankford and other conservatives to produce a work product that will be available for conservatives like me to consider in the near future. And “I want to keep in mind that there are many of us who don’t look at third parties,” Young said, “and we appreciate the appropriateness of passing this bipartisan proposal.”

It’s a familiar dynamic for the Republican Party during Trump’s presidency, with Trump easily derailing Congressional activity at the Capitol or stirring up new controversy with a single tweet. will be forced to respond. Now, Trump is on his way to winning the presidential nomination, and the Republican Party is determined to welcome him as its candidate again.

Underscoring how damaging President Trump’s rhetoric and campaign to dismantle the border deal is in the Senate, one Republican senator told CNN on background that without Trump, the deal would be in session. He said he would have received overwhelming support.

“If it weren’t for Donald Trump, this proposal would have had near-unanimous Republican support,” the Republican senator said.

Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who is also participating in the talks, said he was unsure if anyone could persuade Trump not to abandon the deal. But Tillis acknowledged that it would take a certain amount of “courage” for his member states to come forward in defiance of President Trump at this time. However, Tillis argued that it would ultimately be in Trump’s interest for member states to pass border security agreements to address the flow of migrants attempting to enter the country.

“I think it’s time for senators to show courage and do something that will ultimately be very helpful to President Trump,” Tillis said.

Asked whether President Trump was wrong to attack the deal, Tillis said, “I’ll leave it up to the president to figure out how he needs to do it.” I hope that some of us will support the effort to give him the tools he needs to actually manage borders, abuses, and the dangerous situation that we have today. ”

McConnell has not had any contact with President Trump since the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021, but he did not abandon the meeting, dismissing Trump’s opponents as “nothing new.” He claimed that there was no.

“We’re still working on it,” McConnell said. “I’m trying to get results.”

Sen. John Thune, No. 2 Senate Republican, said the discussion has reached a critical juncture, but acknowledged there may be a need to switch to “Plan B.”

“If we can’t get there, we’ll go to plan B,” Thune said. “But I think there’s still an attempt, at least for now, to come to a conclusion that will satisfy a lot of Republicans.”

Status of border negotiations remains uncertain

Frustration ran rampant within Senate Republicans on Thursday as confusion over the status of the border agreement lingered.

Mr. McConnell said negotiations were still ongoing, but Mr. Young cautioned against Republican leaders pulling out before conducting thorough temperature checks in the chamber. Some Republicans in the conference are fighting for an agreement.

“I think leaders need to be careful before making impulsive decisions,” he says.

Asked if it was realistic to pass a border deal in the face of President Trump’s opposition, Young said: Listen, I’m very sensitive to political realities, but I think we need to consult with the conference before making these major decisions on behalf of this conference. ”

Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, who has publicly criticized Mr. McConnell, said he was “perplexed” by the leader’s comments during Wednesday’s closed session, which was supposed to focus on Ukraine.

“So we were talking about funding to Ukraine, and then all of a sudden he brought up the border, and again he made a series of pretty lame excuses and tried to shift the blame onto President Trump. “I think it’s not James Lankford who failed in the negotiations,” Johnson said. “James Lankford has grown his tail. It’s McConnell who has usurped the influence by not linking the money to Ukraine to actual border security.”

Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who has long made no secret of her dissatisfaction with Trump, said lawmakers need to remember how critical this moment is for the border and Ukraine and put their politics aside. He said there is.

“I’m not giving up. This isn’t about Trump, this isn’t about me. This is about our country. This is about democracy around the world. This is about our “It’s about the security of our country, so let’s continue to work toward a border agreement,” she said. “Let us live up to the promises we have made to our friends and allies so that our words actually have meaning.”

This is the second time in six years that President Trump has scrapped or actively sought to scrap a bipartisan immigration deal as it emerges. Back in 2018, Murkowski was part of bipartisan talks on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. The bill received 54 votes in the Senate, but not enough to cross the finish line.

Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, one of the Democrats participating in the border talks, expressed frustration with President Trump’s efforts to sow chaos into the situation.

“I think in the next 24 to 48 hours they’re going to make a decision about whether they’re going to do this or whether the forces surrounding Donald Trump who want to maintain chaos at the border will prevail,” Murphy said. “So they have to make a decision. I hope they make that decision soon. We have a 95% written agreement and the Republicans have decided they actually want to resolve the issue. We are ready to take the floor if that happens.”

This story has been updated with additional developments.