Donald Trump spoke with reporters ahead of his departure for a trip to California to see the fires that have killed hundreds of people. No one expected his remarks to be intelligent or even rational, so no one was disappointed.
The man who dodged the draft during the Vietnam War with excuses about bone spurs and plans to lounge at Mar-a-Lago over the holidays says he intends to keep military troops at the southern border between the U.S. and Mexico for “as long as necessary” despite the “beautiful fence” that he promised during his 2016 presidential campaign would stop undocumented immigrants from entering the country. Those members of the military will not be home with their families for the upcoming holiday.
The Pentagon has all but admitted that the decision to send nearly 6K troops to the southern border to protect America from a bunch of peaceful, asylum seeking refugees, was a taxpayer funded pre-election stunt meant to please Trump.https://t.co/jqYWkVhNIb
— Wes Jordan✌? (@wesley_jordan) November 16, 2018
He also insisted that more people than ever are trying to come into the country now that the economy is doing so well under his presidency. This contradicts claims he made in 2017 that immigration is “down 17 percent” thanks to his policies of harassment, intimidation, and racism. His claim last year was true. His claim on Saturday is entirely false.
Trump: Border Troops To Stay "As Long As Necessary" – https://t.co/SbuglbV6t9 pic.twitter.com/Blq2SIwGcG
— JoeMyGod (@JoeMyGod) November 17, 2018
Trump also used the GOP talking point that those who come into the country illegally are somehow harming those who have come using legal processes. This is also a misleading claim. The “caravan” he sent troops to the border to subvert could have come through an approved checkpoint and apply for asylum, which was perfectly legal until Trump changed the rules. Asylum-seekers are not instantly given legal status.
Trump immigration rhetoric quiets after midterms | By Kathryn Watson https://t.co/ibCyUiDwDF
— SafetyPin-Daily (@SafetyPinDaily) November 16, 2018
What’s more, GOP lawmakers have praised Trump’s new policies, saying that people seeking asylum should do so from outside the United States. That isn’t possible. An application for asylum must be submitted by a person at an approved checkpoint or while already inside the United States. Trump’s new rules that no one can apply at the border effectively ended the U.S. policy on asylum.
Opinion | While Trump feasts on Thanksgiving, troops on the border eat rations and await Pancho Villa https://t.co/PStrRZ1bL2 <— THIS
— Jennifer Rubin (@JRubinBlogger) November 17, 2018
For full video of Trump’s statements to the press on Saturday morning, see video below. His remarks about military force at the southern border begin at 2:20.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=141&v=sxoPl_As7Bk
