Deputy White House press secretary Hogan Gidley told Hill.TV on Thursday that President Trump does not want to shut down the U.S. southern border, but said it may be the only option he has to fix what the administration says is a crisis at the border.
“It’s not the option that he wants to take, but it may be the only option he has if Congress won’t act on this,” Gidley told hosts Krystal Ball and Buck Sexton on “Rising.”
“Anything the president does, as you know, he will do well within his legal right and authority to accomplish, but the lasting solution for the immigration fixes that are needed for this country have to come from Congress,” he continued.
Trump alarmed Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill last week after he threatened to either shut down the border or “close large sections of the border” if Congress doesn’t pass stricter immigration laws.
Senior Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.), pushed back on the idea, warning the move could have a “potentially catastrophic economic impact.”
The president backtracked on his comments on Tuesday, pointing out that Mexico is working to help apprehend migrants.
“I really wanted to close it. But now Mexico is saying, ‘No, no, no.’ First time in decades,” Trump said.
— Julia Manchester
hilltv copyright