Former President Donald Trump, with his call for congressional Republicans to reject legislation falling short of “everything needed” to stem the flow of migrants coming across the border, is setting a battle with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and his team over a compromise bill on border security and funding for Ukraine, Israel, and the Indo-Pacific region.
“There are a number of pieces in there that are good conservative border policies that we’ve been trying to get done for years,” Senate Republican Whip John Thune, R-S.D., commented about Trump’s push, reports The Hill. “It’s not helpful.”
Trump on Thursday night spoke out against the potential Senate border deal, which is still emerging, in a post on his Truth Social page.
“I do not think we should do a Border Deal, at all, unless we get EVERYTHING needed to shut down the INVASION of Millions & Millions of people, many from parts unknown, into our once great, but soon to be great again, Country!” the GOP primary front-runner posted.
McConnell has been telling fellow Senate Republicans that reaching a compromise bill is their best chance to secure the border.
Further, he said that if Republicans recapture the White House and Senate in November while keeping control of the House, Democrats will use Senate rules to block border legislation.
“One of the things I keep reminding my members is if we had a 100-percent Republican government — president, House, Senate — we would probably not get a single Democratic vote for border security reform,” he said. “This is a unique opportunity to accomplish something in a divided government.”
Thune, agreeing with McConnell, said Republicans will not be able to pass strong border reforms next year, even should Trump win back the White House.
“The Democrats will not give us anything close to this if we have to get 60 votes in the United States [Senate] in a Republican majority,” he said. “We have a unique opportunity here.”
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, who is also on the McConnell leadership team, said Trump’s “everything needed” demand is not possible.
“The reality [is] we’re working with is we need to get enough votes in the House, the Senate, and a presidential signature,” Cornyn said, stressing that any deal reached must be one that will get votes from Democrats.
Further, Cornyn pointed out that a Senate package could give Trump, if elected, more tools to secure the border, so he thinks “that would be something he would like.”
Trump also appears to be putting pressure on House Republicans and Speaker Mike Johnson, who told Fox News on Wednesday that he has “frequently” spoken with Trump about the border.
“President Trump is not wrong,” Johnson commented. “He and I have been talking about this pretty frequently. I talked to him the night before last about the same subject.”
Meanwhile, some GOP senators believe Trump does not want to give President Joe Biden a victory on border policy before the 2024 election, but still believe it would be a mistake to pass up a chance to reform asylum laws.
They also say it will be a strategic disaster to withhold money from Ukraine, which could lead to a dangerous win for Russia.
“I respectfully disagree with the president. He could not possibly see what we are negotiating,” Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., commented Thursday, adding that Trump and other Republicans will be making a mistake in rejecting a border security bill, commenting that “to lose this opportunity to get it passed into law, I think, is malpractice.”
It would also be a major mistake to reject money for Ukraine, said Tillis.
“We have to get money for Ukraine, or the same people [who oppose it] need to own this historically,” he said. “If we fail, I want every single [opponent] to go on record as owning what I think will be one of the worst strategic decisions members of Congress will make in their careers.”
However, Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., a close Trump ally, predicted that even if the Senate passes a compromise deal, the measure will fail in the House.