During a White House gathering about the National Space Council Monday, Donald Trump took some time to double down on his rampant lying about his draconian policy of ripping kids from their parents at the border. Trump's main tack was to blame Democrats for every immigration issue the U.S. has ever experienced, including a policy that he and his nativist henchman dreamed up and implemented all on their own.
"I'll say it very honestly and I'll say it very straight: Immigration is the fault—and all of the problems that we're having— because we cannot get them to sign legislation. We cannot get them even to the negotiating table," Trump told the gathering, according to the official transcript. "And I say, it's very strongly the Democrats' fault. ... If the Democrats would sit down instead of obstructing, we could have something done very quickly. Good for the children. Good for the country. Good for the world."
And here we all thought it was Trump's job to "sign" the laws and mainly the responsibility of the GOP-controlled Congress to steward bills through with Democratic help. But no—now we find out it’s the minority party that is supposed to be passing bills and signing them, according to Trump. No wonder nothing is getting done—Trump and Republicans are waiting for Democrats, who don't have the power to do anything, to do everything.
Nearly all Republicans have stuck by Trump's lie that it will take legislation to end his unilaterally initiated family separation policy, but we are just starting to see some fissures among Republicans facing tough re-election races in moderate districts. GOP Rep. Will Hurd of Texas is among the first to not only say that he vehemently opposes the policy but to also admit that Trump is flat-out lying about the legislative fix. Hurd told NPR Monday morning that "taking kids from their mothers" wasn't preventing terrorists or drugs from entering the country.
"Why we would even think this is a tool that is needed to defend our borders is insane to me," Hurd said. He added that Trump's legislative push was a useless diversion.
"There is nothing that I've read in either one of these two [immigration] bills that we're allegedly voting on this week that would prevent this policy from going forward," Hurd explained. "You don't need legislation, the administration can do this and stop this policy right now."