Politics
Jen Psaki, President Biden’s former press secretary, made a shocking admission on Wednesday that her former boss’ executive order on the besieged southern border was intended to address “political vulnerability” ahead of the 2024 election, after the president refused to answer questions about the timing of the action.
The order, announced Tuesday, will close the US-Mexico border if the number of migrants crossing the border exceeds 2,500 per day for seven consecutive days. Officials said the order will be in effect for up to two weeks after the seven-day average of daily migrants reaches 1,500.
During an appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” Psaki spoke candidly about how Biden’s political calculations led to his recent executive orders.
“Something needs to be done, but politically, this is one of our biggest vulnerabilities,” the former White House press secretary said.
“And regardless of who’s upset about the details of what’s in here and what’s not, it’s a political weakness for the president and his campaign. They know it,” she added.
“They knew politically they would have to issue something like an executive order before the election, and we’re seeing that happen.”
Biden did not answer any questions about his actions when they were announced on Tuesday, including the clearly audible question: “Why now?” Critics point out that the move came five months and one day before the Nov. 5 election.
Biden’s new executive order, which even if fully implemented, would allow at least 1.8 million asylum seekers to enter the US each year, has drawn criticism from both sides of the political spectrum, with many Republicans slamming it as a political ploy ahead of the 2024 elections.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) used X to accuse Biden of political power play, writing, “Biden’s executive orders are a ploy to deceive the American people before November. In his first 100 days in office, he has issued 94 executive orders to open the border because that has been his goal all along.”
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) echoed similar sentiments, saying the executive order was “an admission that the president had the ability to solve the border crisis and did nothing. Inaction three and a half years into his presidency is nothing more than election-year camouflage.”
Even former President Donald Trump, who was convicted of 34 felony counts in a hush money trial last week, criticized the timing of Biden’s order.
“Villain Joe Biden is pretending to finally do something about the border, but the truth is it’s all a facade,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The order has divided opinion even within Biden’s own party. On the Senate floor on Tuesday, some, like Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), said it was “much better than doing nothing,” while others were more openly expressing disappointment, according to Axios.
Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., said Biden’s executive orders will “undermine American values” and ultimately “fail to meet the challenges” and endanger people seeking safety.
Meanwhile, Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) called the order “outrageous.”
“Seek asylum is a human right. President Biden has promised to end, not resume, the cruel immigration policies of the Trump era. The dehumanization of migrants fleeing violence and seeking a better life for their families must stop,” she wrote on X.
