Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump weighed in on the border negotiations taking place between Capitol Hill and the White House, urging Republican lawmakers — namely Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. — to accept nothing less than "everything needed to shut down" the southern border.
The Senate appears poised to put forth a border compromise legislation that includes the passage of President Joe Biden's $106 billion foreign aid package, which also includes $14 billion for the border.
But Trump said Wednesday night there can be no compromise.
"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!" Trump posted to Truth Social.
"Also, I have no doubt that our wonderful Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, will only make a deal that is PERFECT ON THE BORDER. Remember, without Strong Borders and Honest Elections, we don't have a Country!!!"
Johnson was among the congressional leaders who met with Biden on Wednesday afternoon about the border.
"Before we even talk about Ukraine, I'm going to tell the president what I was telling all of you, and what we told the American people: border, border, border," Johnson said.
Johnson has also said House Republicans will accept nothing less than its strict HR 2 legislation in any border deal. But Senate Republicans are moving forward without Johnson on its bipartisan legislation, which Punchbowl News reported could be introduced next week by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
"The House has HR 2, obviously. They've spoken, the Senate hasn't. We've got to still be able to speak," Republican negotiator Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma said Tuesday.
Johnson is already in the vice grip of House conservatives over agreeing to a topline spending bill with Democrats that only cut $16 billion. And he's on the brink of having to agree to another continuing resolution to keep the government up and running, which will further infuriate his right flank.
House conservatives are already warning Johnson that he could face being ousted.
"I understand the speaker has got a very tough job and he's got an unruly constituency of Republicans over there, but it makes no sense to me for us to do nothing when we might be able to make things better and stem the flow of humanity across the border for the next year," Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, told reporters.
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
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