Lou Dobbs slams Trump’s move to end shutdown: ‘Illegal immigrants are surely pleased’

Fox Business host Lou Dobbs on Friday blasted President Trump’s announcement that he had agreed to back a bipartisan deal to fully reopen the federal government for three weeks without securing money for a border wall.

“While the president pleased few of his supporters, if any, Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer and the radical Dems [are] taking victory laps within minutes of the president’s 18-minute announcement,” Dobbs, typically a staunch defender of Trump, said on the network.

“And the illegal immigrants are surely pleased at the prospect they may soon jump to the front of the line while legal immigrants aren’t even part of the discussion in the nation’s capital,” he added.

{mosads}The president announced Friday a bipartisan deal to sign a continuing resolution (CR) ending the record-long partial government shutdown that started 35 days ago. As part of the deal, lawmakers will force a bipartisan conference committee to negotiate further border security measures.

The announcement was met with criticism from the far-right flank of Trump’s base, who claimed that the president had caved after refusing for over a month to sign legislation that did not include border wall funds. 

“Good news for George Herbert Walker Bush: As of today, he is no longer the biggest wimp ever to serve as President of the United States,” conservative commentator Ann Coulter tweeted.

Good news for George Herbert Walker Bush: As of today, he is no longer the biggest wimp ever to serve as President of the United States.

— Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) January 25, 2019

Trump had previously rejected proposals for a three-week government funding bill specifically over border wall funding. The president took to Twitter on Friday night to defend himself against accusations that he caved to Democrats.

“This was in no way a concession. It was taking care of millions of people who were getting badly hurt by the Shutdown with the understanding that in 21 days, if no deal is done, it’s off to the races!” he tweeted. 

I wish people would read or listen to my words on the Border Wall. This was in no way a concession. It was taking care of millions of people who were getting badly hurt by the Shutdown with the understanding that in 21 days, if no deal is done, it’s off to the races!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 26, 2019

Trump on Friday again floated the possibility of declaring a national emergency to get the $5.7 billion he says is necessary for a wall if the conference committee cannot come to an agreement by the February deadline.

“We’ll work with the Democrats and negotiate and if we can’t do that, then we’ll do – obviously we’ll do the emergency because that’s what it is. It’s a national emergency,” he said.