Sen. Mark Kelly Rips Trump Over Role in Killing Bipartisan Border Bill
Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., on Wednesday criticized former President Donald Trump for his role in sinking a bipartisan Senate bill aimed at overhauling border security. Kelly, speaking on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” accused Trump of derailing the bill to keep immigration as an election issue, rather than genuinely seeking solutions.
“This was not meeting the Republicans on the 50-yard line, this was meeting them on the 10-yard line,” Kelly said, referring to the bipartisan border bill that would have imposed significant reforms but was killed after Trump pressured GOP lawmakers to vote against it. “On their side of the field, we realized we’ve got to get operational control over the border. I realized this, Kamala Harris realizes this, and this legislation was going to do that.”
Kelly emphasized that the goal was to pass the legislation and then work on comprehensive immigration reform. However, he noted that the bill was stopped dead in its tracks by Donald Trump, who wanted to maintain immigration as an election issue. “Like a lot of other Republicans, they don’t actually want to solve this problem,” Kelly asserted.
Trump has recently focused his attacks on Vice President Kamala Harris, arguing that she failed to secure the border after President Joe Biden tasked her with addressing the influx of migrants from Central American countries to the southern border and the root causes of migration. Harris has pushed back on these attacks, citing her experience as attorney general of California, where she worked on cases against transnational gangs, drug cartels, and human traffickers.
In his interview, Kelly declined to confirm whether he has been in touch with Harris’ campaign recently but expressed his commitment to ensuring her success. “I’m not going to get into any of that. I am going to be focused on making sure that Kamala is the next president. I’m going to work as hard as I can,” he said. Kelly also mentioned that his wife, former Arizona Rep. Gabby Giffords, has been campaigning for Harris in battleground states such as Michigan and Pennsylvania.
Kelly’s critique of Trump’s interference in the bipartisan border bill highlights the ongoing political battle over immigration and border security. As the 2024 election approaches, these issues are likely to remain at the forefront of political discourse, with both parties vying for control and solutions.