Trump knocks Biden over time spent discussing border during speech to Congress

Former President Trump in an interview early Thursday knocked President Biden for his handling of the situation at the southern border, saying he did not dedicate enough time on the subject during his joint address to Congress. 

“He didn’t discuss the border and the fact that tens of thousands of people are pouring into our country, many of them criminals, many of them people from jails, many of them doing acts that you don’t even want to know about,” Trump told Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo on “Mornings with Maria.” 

“The wall is almost completed. It would have been completed if I didn’t get sued by Congress and the Democrats every single moment — and we beat those cases,” he said. “And they just don’t want to finish it.”

Trump also said that his “stay in Mexico” policy was a “great thing.”

“They don’t come into this country,” he added. “They stay in Mexico. It’s as simple as that.”

Biden during his address late Wednesday urged bipartisanship on the issue. 

“On day one of my presidency, I kept my commitment and I sent a comprehensive immigration bill to Congress,” Biden said. “If you believe we need a secure border — pass it. If you believe in a pathway to citizenship — pass it.” 

“We also have to get at the root of the problem of why people are fleeing to our southern border from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador,” the president said. “The violence. The corruption. The gangs. The political instability. Hunger. Hurricanes. Earthquakes.” 

Trump early Thursday also touted his administration’s work building a wall along the southern border as a means of keeping undocumented migrants from crossing the border. 

“They just don’t want to finish it,” Trump said. “It’s a disaster. What a shame for our country. It will destroy our country.” 

The Biden administration has been grappling with a surge in migrants at the southern border, including a large number of children and teenagers. 

Customs and Border Protection apprehended more than 170,000 people at the border in March, the highest count in at least 15 years.

— Updated at 9:39 a.m.