Donald Trump gave congressional Republicans very strict orders: Kill the border deal. Trump longs to rail mercilessly about a Biden-fueled border invasion all the way through November. A deal shutting down the border immediately would have robbed him of that xenophobic appeal.
Republicans obeyed, despite the Senate GOP successfully negotiating a conservative wishlist that progressive Democrats largely disdained. President Joe Biden had accepted the compromise, calling it the "toughest and fairest" immigration bill in decades.
But as Biden saw the writing on the wall Tuesday, he warned that if Republicans torpedoed their own deal in order to keep the political issue alive for Trump this year, then game on.
"I understand the former president is desperately trying to stop this bill," Biden said in remarks from the White House state dining room, noting that Trump isn't interested in solving problems at the U.S. border.
"But if the bill fails, I want to be absolutely clear about something: The American people are going to know why it fails," Biden warned. "I'll be taking this issue to the country and the voters are going to know, just at the moment we're going to secure the border and fund these other programs, Trump and MAGA Republicans said no because they're afraid of Donald Trump."
"Huh," Biden muttered, before repeating, "Afraid of Donald Trump."
"Every day between now and November," Biden continued, "the American people are going to know the reason the border is not secure is Donald Trump."
Biden then urged congressional Republicans to, for once, stand up to Trump.
"It's time for Republicans in Congress to show a little courage, show a little spine—to make it clear to the American people that you work for them and not for anyone else," Biden said, pausing momentarily.
"I know who I work for," Biden added. "I work for the American people."
Biden didn’t want to make this a campaign issue; he would have much rather just taken the deal despite its drawbacks. But since this is the fight Republicans chose to pick, it's a treasure trove for the White House.
Sure, Trump will rant from the rooftops about Biden's border crisis at every MAGA rally he holds, but that audience is already a lock for Trump.
Among the majority of fact-based, pro-democracy voters who aren't Trumpers, Biden will gladly recount how Republicans have sold out the American people at every turn on immigration for over a decade in order to keep the issue alive.
When a 2013 compromise immigration reform deal cleared the Senate during Barack Obama's presidency, did then-GOP House Speaker John Boehner ever put it on the House floor for a vote? Nope.
When newly minted Speaker Paul Ryan had a chance to reup the compromise in 2015, did he take it? Nope.
When Republicans controlled both chambers of Congress under Trump, did they even attempt to solve the issue? Nope.
Republicans don't solve problems. They don't legislate, they complain—that's their special talent. Trump’s takeover of the party has only amplified the mentality.
On Tuesday, Biden called Republicans’ bluff, promising to take their betrayal straight to the American people. And Republicans, with their very public campaign to torpedo the deal, were asking for it.
Biden telling them to "show a little spine" was just icing on the cake.
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