Weslaco, Texas – In what proved to be a stark contrast from Kamala Harris’ approach, President Trump on Wednesday visited the Rio Grande Valley with Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas. Standing along a section of unfinished border wall, Trump hosted a series of roundtable discussions and press conferences.
President Trump was accompanied by nearly two dozen House Republicans, such as Rep. Madison Cawthorn, R-N.C., Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., and several other members of the Republican Study Committee.
Instead of being surprised by protesters like Harris was last week, President Trump was greeted by seemingly never-ending lines of supporters.
A staunch critic of the Biden Administration, President Trump made it clear that he intended to raise awareness about the current administration’s recklessness and mishandling of the migrant crisis, especially as it pertains to immigrants crossing the unsecured border in numbers not seen in decades.
Along with a surge in migrants, record numbers of drugs, like fentanyl, are being smuggled across the border. According to the U.S. Customs & Border Protection, fentanyl seizures are up 56 percent higher than fiscal year 2020.
Trump highlighted other ongoing issues associated with an unfinished border wall, as many migrants have been able to easily walk through the porous sections and turn themselves in to border patrol officials.
According to US Customs & Border Protection, more than 180,000 migrants were encountered at the southern border in May alone, putting the U.S. on track to surpassing its previous border crossings record from fiscal year 2019.
“We have a sick country, sick elections, and a sick border,” Trump stated.
“If you don’t have good elections and if you don’t have a strong border, you don’t have a country,” he said, pointing out a strong concern many Americans have regarding election integrity and lack of border security.
He slammed Biden for canceling several significant Trump-era policies such as the “Remain in Mexico” program, restrictive asylum policies, and ending the “catch-and-release” policy. Trump said this has resulted in a lack of control and security at the border. “When you look at the job we’ve done, and all the statistics, it’s the greatest job done in history,” Trump affirmed.
On the other hand, illegal immigration is proving to be a forefront issue for many politicians seeking reelection in upcoming midterm elections. President Trump was accompanied by Gov. Greg Abbott who stressed the importance of finishing the border wall to urge donations. Although the state intends to take matters into their own hands and finish the border wall, Abbott called on Texans to help fund the wall which resulted in more than $450,000 in small donations.
Mayra Flores, congressional candidate for Texas’ 34th District, accompanied President Trump on Wednesday to raise awareness for the ongoing crisis. In an exclusive interview with RSBN, Flores mentioned “I was very happy that he was here putting the spotlight on South Texas.”
Flores expresses frustrations with how local Democrat politicians and county judges falsely denied the existence of a crisis at the border, adding that “we do have a serious border crisis and [some of] the people that represent south Texas are putting their party first instead of the well-being of south Texas”.
Ironically, her challenger, Rep. Filemón Vela, D-Texas, is not seeking reelection. Flores said he has not once mentioned the border crisis nor has taken any active steps to correct it.
“President Trump is always wanting the best for the people of this country and wanting to put the people first. He’s constantly talking about wanting the best for this country, and that is all I want,” said Flores. “If I get elected I will treat District 34 like family. I will first take care of them.”
One of her legislative goals is to increase economic opportunities for her constituents so they don’t have to uproot their lives to look elsewhere: “I will bring jobs to south Texas so our children don’t have to leave [south Texas] for better opportunities. I want people to come to south Texas for prosperity, and that’s what I want — economic opportunities for our children.”
President Trump and Governor Abbott will continue to raise awareness for the border crisis and push for solutions amid the Biden administration’s abandonment of the border.