By Brent D. Griffiths ~ Politico ~ April 30, 2018
President Donald Trump continued his attacks against Sen. Jon Tester on Monday, accusing the Montana Democrat of being soft on immigration as news reports indicate that a group of immigrants has been stalled from entering the U.S. along the border with Mexico.
“The migrant ‘caravan’ that is openly defying our border shows how weak & ineffective U.S. immigration laws are,” the president wrote on Twitter on Monday evening. “Yet Democrats like Jon Tester continue to support the open borders agenda — Tester even voted to protect Sanctuary Cities.”
Trump has slammed reports throughout April about a group of Central American immigrants seeking asylum in the U.S. The Washington Post reported on Monday that 220 migrants were stuck waiting outside a U.S. border crossing as officials told them there was not enough available space to process them.
As for Tester, the president has fumed over the senator’s role in derailing White House physician Ronny Jackson from becoming Veterans Affairs secretary. Some Republicans were hesitant about Jackson’s nomination because of his lack of experience, but Tester and Senate Democrats brought to light new allegations about Jackson’s conduct, including whether he was too liberal with prescribing medicine to White House staff and whether or not he crashed a government vehicle while intoxicated.
Montana’s U.S. Senate race is viewed a key opportunity for Republicans this fall. Trump has called on Tester, the ranking Democrat on the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, to resign and has vowed that Montanans would not look kindly on their senior senator’s actions in publicizing questions about Jackson. A spokeswoman for Tester did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the president’s Monday tweet.
After running for president on a strict platform against illegal immigration, Trump has sought to portray Democrats as weak on the issue. He and many in the GOP have tried to restrict state and local governments from passing so-called sanctuary laws. During a broader immigration debate in February, Tester and 44 other senators in the Democratic Caucus voted against a proposal to punish states that pass such laws.
“We need lawmakers who will put America First,” Trump concluded in his Monday tweet.
Source: Brent D. Griffiths ~ Politico
