GOP Lawmaker Dismisses Trump’s Lies About U.S. Border

In a sharp critique, Representative Chip Roy (R-Texas) rebuked former President Donald Trump’s recent TRUTH Social post regarding border control, highlighting a growing division among Republican lawmakers and with the former president regarding the trajectory of immigration policy. This divide has become more pronounced following the failure of an immigration bill shaped by Republicans, which included their preferred policies.

In the TRUTH post, Trump claim, “ALL A PRESIDENT HAS TO DO IS SAY, “CLOSE THE BORDER,” AND THE BORDER WILL BE CLOSED. A COSTLY NEW BILL IS NOT NECESSARY!”

Roy’s response exhibited a level of anger typically reserved by Republicans for discussions held in private about the former president.

“No, we’re not just going to pass the buck and say that, ‘Oh, any president can walk in and secure the border,’” Roy said, in reference to Trump’s post. “All a president has to do is declare the border’s closed, and it’s closed. Well, with all due respect, that didn’t happen in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. There were millions of people that came in the United States during those four years.”

As reported by The Hill, Roy’s comments came in the wake of Trump’s social media post advocating for unilateral presidential action to seal the southern border, a stance that Roy challenged during a House floor speech.

Trump’s call for a comprehensive border closure by executive order was met with skepticism by Roy, who highlighted the practical challenges and legal limitations that have prevented such actions in the past. Despite acknowledging Trump’s efforts to enhance border security during his presidency, Roy clarified that the claim of a president’s ability to unilaterally close the border did not align with the realities of 2017 through 2020, a period marked by continued migration into the United States.

This intra-party critique emerges amid broader discussions on border security and immigration policy, with House Republicans recently opposing a bipartisan Senate border security bill. The bill’s rejection underscores the GOP’s insistence on more stringent measures, contrasting with President Joe Biden’s approach and sparking debate over the executive branch’s role in managing border affairs.

The discourse on border security was further complicated by a House vote that saw an unexpected failure to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, further illustrating the complexities and divisions within the Republican Party on immigration issues. Roy’s subsequent appeal for GOP unity on border policy highlights the ongoing challenges and political maneuvering surrounding immigration, as Republicans seek to consolidate their stance ahead of future electoral battles.