Democratic senator recants praise for Trump border ‘progress'
Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) is walking back his praise of President Trump's 'great, great progress' on illegal immigration as crossings along the U.S.-Mexico border continue to plummet.
'My words yesterday, they were not great,' Warner said in an MSNBC interview Wednesday when asked about remarks he made during an appearance on Fox Business Network's 'Claman Countdown' before Trump's joint address to Congress on Tuesday
Warner told Fox Business anchor Liz Claman the Trump administration had 'made great, great progress on border crossings. That's something we ought to celebrate.'
'I believe President Trump got elected because of the border and trying to lower prices,' Warner said while also blasting tariffs that Trump has levied on imports from Canada and Mexico. 'On the border, I give him good marks. On lowering prices, I think you're going to see the absolute opposite over the next 30 days.'
Some conservatives seized on Warner's remarks as an admission of Trump's strength on tackling illegal immigration.
During Tuesday night's address, Trump touted the massive drop in illegal border crossings since he took office. Monthly apprehensions, which have been on a decline since last year, hit their lowest level in more than two decades last month.
Former Vice President Harris, who lost to Trump in last year's presidential election, and other Democrats on the 2024 campaign trail insisted that then-President Biden's hands were tied and Congress needed to pass bipartisan legislation to tackle illegal immigration.
'It turned out that all we really needed was a new president,' Trump said.
Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border soon after he was sworn into office and signed several executive orders to stem illegal crossings.
Vice President Vance is visiting the border with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth Wednesday to highlight security operations.
In walking back his praise of Trump, Warner told MSNBC's Katy Tur he disagrees with 'unfettered immigration raids' the Trump administration has taken on.
'So my choice of words yesterday, I'd like to take them back,' he said.
Warner added that he still recognizes the border trend as an achievement.
'I think the vast majority of Americans realize President Biden didn't have a secure enough border,' Warner said. 'Those numbers are down, and that's good news for our country.'
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