tv The Lead With Jake Tapper CNN February 29, 2024 1:00pm-2:00pm PST
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plus, ask how to get up to a $800 prepaid card with a qualifying internet package. don't wait, call and switch today! >> grow your business easily, with freelancers fiber. >> the lead with jake tapper cnn next closed captioning brought to you by mesobook >> our firm has offered a free book about mesothelioma for over ten years. mesothelioma is really all we do >> 80087 to 4901 a political split screen at the border. the lead starts right now, president biden and donald trump, both in texas, if this very hour both trying to blame each other for the crisis at the border how they're competing messages will be received i'll speak with republicans and democrats who represent border towns. meanwhile, behind the scenes, trump's legal team is pushing back as yet another state has tried to take him off its 2024
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ballot also today, we are following the chaos on the coast and gaza. what the israeli military is now saying about the more than 100 people believed to have been killed is crowd rushed a convoy trying to provide food and idf spokesperson will be here welcome to the lead. i'm kaitlan >> collins in for jake tapper today and we start with our breaking news and our national lead and the split screen that is playing out right before our very eyes. both president joe biden and former president donald trump, both down at the southern border right now, is immigration is set to be a major or if not the biggest issue in the 2024 election. any minute now, we expect to hear from former president trump. he's in eagle pass, texas after he's been meeting with members of the state's national guard, eagle pass. you'll recall became the epicenter of that tense standoff between texas and the federal government last month as they fought over who had jurisdiction over that part of
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the border shortly after trump speaks, we'll also hear from president biden he's in brownsville, texas where he was just briefed by federal border and immigration officials. and we're told that we can expect him to reiterate his calls for house republicans to pass a bipartisan border deal cnn's priscilla alvarez is traveling with president biden in brownsville and cnn's kristen holmes is with the trump campaign in eagle pass. kristen, let me start with you because even before trump got on his plane and took this trip day, we saw him repeating those same kind of anti-immigration messages that we heard back in 2016 in 2020. what do we expect to hear? from him shortly on the ground >> when i would say more of the same, you've been operating out of the same immigration playbook since you said in 2015 when he launched his presidential campaign saying that people coming across the border, we're bringing drugs and they were rape as that is not changed really one bit, and that's what we expect to hear today. we are told that he's going to link a series of crimes that were allegedly committed by migrants to the
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immigration crisis, as well as that death of a uga student. that was the suspect. there is an undocumented venezuelan migrant, and you should also really highlight where we are right now. you pointed that out. >> this is the focal >> point of the political aspect of immigration. we just saw donald trump with texas governor greg abbott, who is in a standoff with the biden administration over who really controls this section of the border, as we know, abbott has used state resources to put razor wire on train cars behind me you all along the rio grande as well as on buoys in the middle of the river he just had a briefing with abbott, who again, has backed donald trump and said that they need donald trump's immigration policies. so we should really expect to see is how donald trump believes he is putting out his message. remember what he's called for already in 2024, if he is elected? saying that he would have mass deportations, that you would round up. and house immigrants, wait for waiting for deportation. he would also use law enforcement
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to help with wide arrests yeah. >> i'm priscilla, you're traveling with president biden as he's also there were watching both of them on the ground. really a remarkable preview of what could be to come this fall. and a potential rematch between the two of them. but for president biden knew he hasn't been to the border in over a year. what are white house official saying about why he chose to today to go down to the southern border >> will caitlin they are seeing an opportunity with that senate border bill that included some of the toughest border security measures ended up being tanked because of republicans. there was negotiations with within the senate and with white house officials. but in the end, it didn't move forward and the white house sees an opportunity here to hammer republicans over that, saying that this could have been a solution, and that republicans walked away from it. so we are here in the browser border patrol station. i'm keeping a low voice because we are expecting president biden to walk through those doors any minute now where he will be briefed by
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federal immigration officials, you'll also see border patrol behind me. they have lined up against the wall. so this is really remarkable for a white house that had distance itself from the border security issue. for years, this administration has grappled with multiple surges along the us-mexico border over the last few years, sources told me that conversations were always tends within the white house when this issue came up. but now with the republicans having tankers border bill, then president is leaning in and that is what we're going to expect from his remarks today, is him going after them and saying, look, there could have been a solution here and you didn't sign onto it. and so that is what the met the message that we're anticipating. we're going to hear now. and in the monster come kristen, given that given brazil's reporting about what president biden is going to say, i mean, republicans have historically had the edge when it comes to immigration. they're seen as being tougher on immigration, but given house republicans just stood in the way of that bipartisan senate deal, really at the direction of former president donald trump's some of them outright saying it was because it was a political issue that he wanted
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to run on in 2024. i mean, how did they how do they spin that >> well, if you look at recent polling actually shows that despite that, many republicans and many voters believe donald trump would be harsher when it comes to immigration that you'd be more successful that's full at the border, but we've heard them spinning time and time again. is that biden doesn't actually need to have any kind of border bill passed and said he should just have executive action if you really cared about the border, you would use executive action. that is what we've heard from republicans also, we've heard from donald trump saying it had nothing to do with being political. it was just because it wasn't a good deal despite the fact that one of the most conservative senators in the senate was the one negotiating. but this is going to be a harder climb for them. what i do think when i talk to members, when we talk to people close to the former president, they believed that his messaging is better than he can convince people that he was better that he did more for the border, that he is stronger when it comes to the border. and one thing donald trump is good at is messaging kaitlan as
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you know, and that is what they've really tried to hammer home even with the optics of this trip, even bringing him out, parading him in front of the national guard, kind of setting the scene for what he would say is what he wants his border control to look like if he is reelected back to the white house what priscilla, i mean, given that people have looked to get to president biden can do do we expect him to announce anything when he's there today? >> kaitlan, homeland security secretary alejandro mayorkas was asked that exact question. he said no announcements on executive actions today, but sources do tell me that the white house is considering executive action that would restrict the ability of migrants to claim asylum if they cross the border unlawfully using an authority that former president donald trump also used during his time in office. so the two executive actions might look very different, but on the same, this just goes to show how the white house is leaning in on an issue that up until this point, they had really kept at a distance and democratic strategists, i spoke with say
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that this is the opportunity that they see polling as you heard there from kristen shows that americans are seeing this as a top priority in a really important issue to them, this being the issue of immigration. and so it's not beneficial anymore for democrats to keep it at a distance. in fact, democratic strategist, i spoke with say, president biden should be embracing it, leaning into it. and not only leaning into it, but also leaning into the enforcement aspect of this. oftentimes democrats have talked about immigration reform and protection for daca recipients and dreamers. but now we're hearing a message that is very border security centric, and that's actually what we're expecting to hear from the president today. and really again, could outline what the next few months look like. not only for the president, but for democrats were running in other races priscilla alvarez with the president and brownsville, kristen holmes with the former president and eagle pass will be waiting for those remarks from them. and of course, just as president biden and donald trump are visiting the border, we've also just heard from a federal judge who is blocking that enforcement of that controversial texas immigration law. it would essentially empower all enforcement in the state to arrest and detain
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anyone that they suspected of entering the country illegally. it caused a lot of uproar from immigration advocates. cnn's rosa flores is in the border, is on the border in eagle pass. rosa. you what was the judge's rationale for this injunction which essentially blocks this order for now what the judge said is that he rejected the arguments made by the state of texas that >> migrants crossing the border illegally is a quote, invasion. he rejected that. he upheld precedent saying that immigration is a federal function. here's what the judge said in part, quote, surges and immigrants ration do not constitute an invasion within the meaning of the constitution or as texas engaging in war by enforcing, as before he goes on to say, if allowed to proceed as before, could open the door to each state passing its own version of immigration laws as before, threatens the fundamental notion that the united states must regulate them ration with one voice. governor greg abbott, of
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course, speaking out disagreeing, saying that the state of texas has constitutional authority for doing all of this. he issued a statement saying in part, quote, texas has the right to defend itself because of president biden's ongoing failure to fulfill his duty to protect our state from the invasion at our southern border, even from the bench, this district judge acknowledged that this case will ultimately be decided by the us supreme court. there's also been an outpouring of reaction from across the state. there was actually a protest earlier today, we have video of it. this was in south texas in the rio grande valley. now you got to think about them the state of texas is about 40% latino. and the fear of the enforcement of this law is that it will lead to discrimination now, a civil rights organization in many organizations have issued statements. here's one saying, in part, quote, what today's decision the court sent a clear message to texas. sb4 is
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unconstitutional and criminalizes black, brown, indigenous, and immigrant communities and immigrant communities will not be tolerated and kaitlan governor greg abbott, as posted multiple posts on x, saying that the fight is not over. if you know, a governor, greg abbott, you know that it's not over until it's over. he's going to continue with the fight here on the southern border. caitlin, back to you. >> yeah. we'll continue to track that closely. rosa flores. thank you for that report. here with me now, is democratic congressman congresswoman veronica escobar of texas, who represents the border community of el paso and its surrounding areas. congresswoman, it's great to have you here on a day like this, but let me just first get your reaction to what we just heard rosa report. they're about this, judge, with this preliminary injunction on that state law that is known is sb4. i knew that you are an opponent to that. what do you make of what? judges decided here? >> thanks so much. kaitlan really appreciate the opportunity to talk to you. i agree with a judge as due a
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number of legal scholars, advocates, border residents we know that what governor greg abbott was trying to do it was not just immoral, but it was unconstitutional. we are already in communities like my own, seeing agree just civil rights abuses because of his operation, lone star and sb4 would have been a huge expansion of that that would have led to really some more our significant targeting of minority communities. so it's a reprieve for now. i agree with a judge that this likely will go all the way to the supreme court, but we are hoping that justice will prevail well, watch to see, of course, if it does go to the supreme court. i mean, heaviest live a lot on their hands as we've been talking about in recent days. but, you know what we're looking at right now with president biden there on the border, foreign president trump as well. i should note president biden is in brownsville. this is his first visit to the border in 13 months.
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>> do >> you believe that he should be visiting the border more often given how high of an issue it is on americans minds >> i was so proud to travel with president biden last year to my community of el paso. i think it's great that he is going to today, but the president has not been has not necessarily had to be at the border to understand what's happening in many of us have shared with him as has secretary mayorkas, and others about the great challenge that has existed. and i have to say kaitlan, it's existed since before president biden was in office. when donald trump but was president i led a number of congressional delegations to el paso so that people could understand the chat. the great challenge that we faced, and the need for congressional action what we have seen over the last two decades has been an effort, a concerted and successful effort by republicans to basically limit.
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and in fact deny any kind of congressional action. we saw it in 2006. we saw in 2014, in 2018, again this year, 2024. every time congress has been poised to act on what normally has been a combination of border security and immigration reform it's been republicans who blocked it and prevented any action. so the humanitarian crisis that many communities let's have seen to this day is a direct result of congressional inaction, but mostly led by republicans who blocked that action. >> but i wonder what you make of where president biden chose to go today. i mean, you see really seeing the biggest challenge in brownsville. the border is seeing i actually congresswoman standby for one moment. we do have the foreign president and it speaking right now, southern border are we are waiting, mrs. war now, we have
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the one getting their governor hasn't done a thing and the governor in california the other thing people are flowing through there like nothing but texas is very secure and is going to be even more secure by the time you finished, which will be soon i just want to thank some friends of mine. brandon judge has been a friend from day one, knew what we were all about and new word we were saying and doing. and i think we were ahead of our time and general thomas selzer was somebody that was always right there and understands this texas military department about as well as he could have. i think he understands war because that's what you're in. you're in a war than william mike norby, you know, he is an he's been fantastic is just an incredible group that you've put together. fortunately, i might ask brandon tsay a couple of words because right at the beginning we were we are into it. we saw what was happening and the governor was there and then he really he really stepped it up. it's been
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amazing. i came when i was lucky enough to receive his endorsement. i endorsed him also and very proudly endorse them and a lot of things have happened in the last little while, but this is an incredible operation, a brand-new would you like to say a couple of words >> present? thank you. sir i want you to know your agents. my agents, they're mad as hell absolutely mad. that president biden went to brownsville, texas rather than going to arizona, rather than going to san diego, california, rather than coming to eagle pass, texas which has been the epicenter. what president trump has seen right here is he's seen how his policies have worked, but he's also seen how he can expand upon those policies once he takes goes back into the white house, he has seen how governor abbott has been able to use his policies to secure this specific area, the epicenter of the last two years of the
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illegal border crisis that we have had to endure. and your agents, president they are border patrol agents, are upset that we cannot get the proper policy that is necessary to protect human life, to protect american citizens, to protect the people that are crossing the border illegally. we want to protect them as well, and we can't do that because president biden's policies she's continued to invite people across her. thank goodness. we have a governor like governor abbott. thank goodness. we have somebody that's willing to run for president the states for go everything else that he's been doing to serve the american people. president >> thank you >> the reports have come out and we've been covering them and everybody's been an ai spoke to the parents of an incredible young lady and you saw her at the other day, you saw what happened the other day
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in georgia and the parents are devastated, their incredible people. but this is a joe biden invasion, is as a biden invasion over the past three years i call them crooked joe because he's crockett is a terrible precedent, worst president our country's ever had a probably the most incompetent president. we've ever had. but it's allowing thousands and thousands of people to come in from china. iran, yemen, the congo, syria, and a lot of other nations, many nations are not very friendly to as his transported. the entire columns of fighting aged men and they're all at a certain age and you look at him. i said they look like warriors to me. something's going on as bad now, the united states is being overrun by the biden migrant crime. it's a new form of vicious violation to our country. it's migrant crime. we got biden migrant crime, but that's a little bit long. so we'll just leave it
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>> but every time you hear the term migrant crime, you know where that comes from, allowing thousands and thousands, actually millions and millions of people to come could be 15 million, could be 18 million. by the time he gets out of office because hopefully the biggest risk we have is nine months. that's a long time. a lot of bad things can happen. they always say in speeches and rallies. its, if you take the ten worst presidents in the history of our country, you added them all up, all of the problems, all of the lousy jobs they've done. you can add them all up. it's not as bad as this. one. man has done for our country. what he's done to our countries is destroying our country we were just talking before we general was saying, i can't believe he can believe what's happening. they can't believe it's so sad last year, almost half of all ice arrests were criminal aliens charged for more than 33,000 assaults, 3,000 robberies 6,900 burglaries, 7,500 weapons.
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grimes, this is all migrant crime 4,300 sex crimes, 1,600 kidnappings and 1,700 homicides and murders. these are the people that are coming into our country and they're coming from jails and they're coming from prisons and they coming from mental institutions and they're coming from insane asylums. and they are terrorists. they're being let into our country and it's horrible. it's honorable. and i know many of the leaders of these other countries that are doing it and it's not just south american soil over the world. the congo, a very big population coming in from jails for the congo, you look at the jails now you take a look at the jails throughout the region, but more importantly, throughout the world the emptying out because they're dumping amid the united states. and these guys try and make like always wonderful. they don't have a clue. i think they're looking for votes, looking for something nobody's really been able to tell me how
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anybody could wanted, you know, you're always in business, you always want to understand the other side. you want to figure it out so you can do something that's good or bad depending on what you're looking for. but nobody can explain to me because everybody i speak to says how horrible it is. nobody explained to me how allowing millions of people from places are known from countries are known who don't speak languages. we have languages coming into our country. we have nobody that even speak says language. is there truly foreign languages? nobody speaks some. >> and they're >> pouring into our country and they're bringing with them tremendous problems, including medical problems as you know, we had title two and we had different things to solve that problem, but they've terminated all of that. even the judge couldn't believe that the judge said no, no, you can't do that. it would be horrible to do that and he let it go and but he said in six months it expires and it expired and that's it. so i just think you're doing an
Check
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incredible job just one week ago, a beautiful 22 year-old nursing student from georgia was barbarically attacked, almost unrecognizable. while she was out on her morning run, she was a morning run. she was doing keep herself and shapes use a beautiful young woman. she was a great person, best nursing student, there was i spoke to a parent's yesterday. they're incredible people that devastated beyond beyond belief. but she was beautiful, just so beautiful and so many ways and brutally assaulted, arithmetically beaten kidnapped, and savagely murdered the monster that charged, charged in the death is an illegal alien migrant who was led into our country and released into our communities by crooked joe biden, nice crockett. i took the name away from hilary because she's no longer relevant, i guess. she was terrible, but he is what he is doing is just unbelievable. >> joe
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>> biden will never say laken riley's name but we will say it and we will remember, we're not going to forget her. it's been just a horrible story that we've had to live with the last few days. it's hard to believe and her parents are just they can never be the same. great people just four days ago, an illegal alien in louisiana was arrested for brutally raping a 14-year-old girl while holding a knife to or throat and he then allegedly robbed a man who was getting out of his car in front of his home and repeatedly stabbed him in the face, in the back, in the face many, many times before police found this person standing in the middle of a street, all covered with blood, standing over the blood of the man who was attacked i can last year is sadistic illegal alien criminal who was released into our country by joe biden, was arrested for raping and 11 year-old girl and strangling her to death pasadena, texas. >> then >> shortly before she was murdered, she texted her father
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that someone was knocking at the door. he arrived home from work and found his daughter's body stuffed in a laundry basket underneath the bed horrible crooked joe is the blood of countless innocent victims. it's so many stories to tell, so many horrible stories three years ago, we had the most secure border in history. brandon was saying at the general was saying it. we had the most secure border and people weren't coming because they knew they weren't going to get in and we weren't promising free education, free, medical free, everything. i mean, all the promises that are made no wonder they come and you look at what this governor, new scum from california isn't that as named new scam? what he's done to california's unbelievable people are pouring in. they think they're going to get medical aid. and our soldiers, our vets aren't being taken care of, but people that come into our country illegally are we ended catch and release. we built 571 miles of border wall, much more than i promised. i'd build
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>> and in addition, we purchased another 200 miles and they sold that much of it for $0.05. so the dollar and just the best wall the same world that you're using. because the governor is now building a lot of wall also. and it works walls work walls, and wheels. i always said it's one thing never gets obsolete. a wall and a wheel. everything else is obsolete about two weeks after you come up with it and we got mexico to give us 28,000 soldiers to take care of our border way, the safest border in the history of our country. and now outside of this area where texas has done an amazing job and earn a pretty short period of time. they're going to have it all covered. they have just been incredible what the operation that they showed me is nothing less than incredible. and i'll say this it's a military operation i mean, we have millet. this is like a war to military operations. so we had remained in mexico. remember that? >> you >> can't come into our country and mexico agreed to it and i tell you someday i'll tell you why serif safe third
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agreements, asylum bans title 42 and rapid removals. but title 42 was so important rapid removal, so important but the best was remain in mexico, you stay in mexico. we had catch and release in mexico. we had catched before that. it was catch and release a criminal and they released him in the united states. we had no more catch and release or catch-and-release was we released them in mexico? and if you broke the law, we caught you, we deported you or we did something else. but we were doing a great job and that's where it stood and then we had an election that we ended up getting many millions of more votes than we did. we did much better in 2020 than we ever even thought about doing in 2016. and very bad things happen. and from that moment on, it was a whole different ball game in texas and all over. but the governor of texas picked up the ball and they've done an incredible job and i'll tell it's an honor to be here. i've brought some people here, some executives from new york because they're marveling at it
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too. >> and >> you're doing your job now we have to find out what's going on on the side, each side because arizona is not doing their job, you have a democrat liberal or more than that governor that probably doesn't want to do anything. so people are just pouring in through arizona and they are pouring in through the beautiful state, the one spirit of whole state it's still beautiful i guess, but they have a lot of crime and a lot of problems. california because the governor is not doing his job in california, is doing a terrible job. he talks a good game, you know, he talks about how wonderful things, but he's wrong and they have a big outflow of people, people that pay taxes, people that don't commit crime, that leaving a lot of them are leaving so i just want to thank the governor. i want to thank this incredible group of talent behind me and we just went through we just went through something very, very special we did a tour and we did it through all sorts of cameras. they're all over the place. i
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don't know. they're in the sky there in satellites they're on the top of those life paul's several over the place. and you >> really have it done and you have been listening to former president donald trump. he is in eagle pass today and of course he is there at the time that president biden is also on the ground. we are waiting to hear from president biden. we're going to take those remarks live, but as we do after every trump's speech, it seemed teams we have to have a series of fact checks because if multiple times and just those brief remarks there, he made several lies, told several lies about the border, also misrepresented his own past on the border in what he did while he was in office. this cnn's daniel dale is here. our resident fact check reporter daniel, obviously we've been listening to this just writing down several of the things that he said that weren't true in their first off is the one that he has claimed repeatedly that i know you personally tried to fact check, which is that there are people from jails and mental institutions that are being emptied and those people are coming across the border, something that the trump campaign has never been able to
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provide any evidence of getting he's still repeats it almost every time he talks about the border, he does kaitlan. >> i asked the trump campaign, what is the evidence that unnamed foreign leaders are emptying out their institutions, their jails, sending people here as migrants, they couldn't come up with anything. i also took some notes. he said that we see columns of fighting age men. they look like warriors. there are zero basis kaitlan for this idea yeah, that unnamed foreign countries are surreptitiously using migrants to assemble some sort of anti-u.s. fighting force. you hear this on the far right, even if you think that many migrants are economic migrants rather than true asylum claimants, that's not an army. it just nonsense. he talked about a supposed new form of crime under president biden. he says, new migrant i'm crime, look some undocumented people have committed crimes under every president, under president trump. again, under president biden, we have had some high-profile recent tragic cases, but every piece of data, all goods studies show that undocumented people, like other immigrants, commit crimes at lower rates than native born
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americans. he told the story that he's told before well, kaitlan about people arriving speaking languages that no one's ever heard. he said in a previous, recent speech, we didn't even have one translator who could understand this language. this, i've looked into, this seems to be just conjured out of thin air. it's nonsense. he also said that maybe these people are being led in because they presumably the biden administration is looking for votes. i think you can make a convoluted case he's the one day people could be turned in, naturalized, turning to citizens, citizens then could vote. but i think it's important to remind people that undocumented people like other non citizens, cannot vote at present. and then finally, former president trump, although repeated, his frequent claim that he built 500 miles of wall. we have official figures on that it is 458 miles, much of which it's important to note is replacement barrier replacing barriers that previously existed, not covering parts of the border that had no barriers in the past. >> none of which mexico also paid for, which was another pledge of his and something that he brings up. the other thing he seemed to suggest was that 10 million people are
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illegally going they come in the country in the next nine months, that something that just has zero basis whatsoever. >> yeah. i mean, as as fact check, man, i tried to stay away from fact-checking predictions because theoretically anything could happen. but that number certainly would far exceed the pace we've seen even while seeing record levels under president biden daniel dale. thank you as always for being on standby to fact check that. i also want to bring back a conversation that we were having right before we went to former president trump. but democratic congresswoman veronica escobar, who has been very patient waiting for us, and congresswoman, i will warn you, of course, we are seeing president biden get a speech right now. we expect to hear from him in a little bit. but on the question that we were talking about, there, which is where president biden is. he's in brownsville, texas. you just heard the head of the national border patrol council, brandon judd criticizing biden for being there in brownsville for not being closer to tucson, arizona, which is where the number one migrant issue is happening. of course, the most
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crossings congresswoman were you to make sure that we can get your connection, that it is here. but i should know what brandon judd was saying. he was criticizing biden for being in brownsville and for not being in the tucson sector. i should note trump was standing right there at eagle pass. he's also nowhere near tucson where the height of this issue is but on president biden, given you're a democrat, what do you make of where he decided to go today >> kaitlan, you're right. i mean, mr. judge should have criticized donald trump as well for being texas and not arizona. the fact of the matter is really many of the migrant pathways end up shifting over time arizona right now is definitely where the highest number of encounters are. but recently it was texas. and in fact, mr. judd mentioned that eagle pass was the number one the epicenter? no el paso, texas actually was the number one area for apprehensions and
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encounters. last year. we've seen a shift recent in texas, not because of what greg abbott is doing. and i think that's really important to stay that much of what greg abbott is doing has not worked necessarily, but in fact, it was the president's collaboration with mexico and mexico gauging and its enforcement activities that shifted a lot of the movement away from texas into other states. >> but it could >> very well shipped back. i think i'm sorry. go ahead >> congresswoman. sorry. where are your shot is having a few technical issues. i just want to say, congressman, we do appreciate your patience. thank you for standing by. will bring you back soon once we can get that restored. also with us still, kristen holmes, who is traveling with the former president, was there in eagle pass as he is speaking. and kristen, i just think one thing that stood out to me beyond the fact that they're criticizing biden for not being closer to the center of this crisis while they are themselves are in eagle pass and not also close to it is trump was standing there talking about the lack of action on immigration, but
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it's notable because he in what's going on at the border, he's the one who blocked who urged house republicans to stand in the way of that bipartisan senate bill that would have addressed a lot of these issues that had money for more border wall. it would have tightened asylum claims, it would have maybe not done everything republicans wanted, but it would have done something yeah >> i mean, this is going to be the back-and-forth back-and-forth that we hear between democrats and republicans, in between trump and biden, probably the narrative that's going to carry us through to november. biden is going to blame trump for blocking that bill, which is entirely true. donald trump came out publicly against the border bill. he was pressured during senators both publicly and privately, not to back the ability. i think one point he said that republican senators who backed the bill had a problem or something along those lines when he's being very overt about how he felt about this. so that part is true. the other part of this is that he continues to say that biden could take exactly i kind
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of action that's also true. there are a number of executive actions that joe biden could take this is just more of the push poll that we're going to see leading up to november. and they both politicize this issue. now, one thing i want to point out here is what we heard in that speech. that was true and we heard daniel dale mentioning it these crimes, there's been a series of high-profile crimes linked to immigration that is true. and all the data shows that the crimes committed by undocumented immigrants is much lower than crimes committed by others. but there have been some high crimes. you are going to continue to see donald trump seizing on that from now until november, he uses fear stoking rhetoric. he uses divisive rhetoric to try and garner votes, to try to talk about the issue of immigration by essentially saying that not only are they going to take your jobs, which is something he said in michigan to union workers, but they're going to harm your family and that is what he said in 2015 in and he's going to continue to say now it's also part of his rhetoric on what he would do if he was in office. again, things like mass deportations,
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rounding up migrants and putting them into detention centers essentially, before deporting them, all of which, by the way would likely get stopped out by a number of legal law lawsuits. before that, i got anywhere near being implemented. but these are the kind of things that he says that get people to back him because they are afraid >> yeah. it's a tried and true tactic that he used in 2016. we saw it took him to the white house in part, kristen, the other thing that stood out though, is listening to brandon judd, who who clearly is supporting donald trump. he was heavily critical of president biden's prison. biden's handling of the border, but he is someone who on this bill that trump helped tank. he was actually supportive of it. he thought it would have been a good bill and would have helped what they're seeing on the border kaitlan. >> i don't want to say that politicians go back on their word and i don't want to say that he's only doing this because donald trump is next to him. but i think two things can be true at once. i think he probably was very supportive of the bill. i have no reason to
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doubt that. i also know that he sees this every day and there were a number of things if implemented that would help stem the migrant crisis. we know that these were things that republicans themselves were publicly fighting for and have been fighting for for a number of years. but as you said, he is also clearly supporting former president donald trump. but if he's going to stand up there next to him, he's not going to support the same bill and that's really what we saw from republicans across the board. we had so many republicans who are publicly supporting the bill only to quietly pull back, pull back, pull back, and then eventually not vote. it was really remarkable to see, but not that surprising, particularly as we've seen, donald trump and inched towards nomination, it looks as though he's very likely to be the republican nominee. and we've seen the republican party coalesce behind him and the border bill is just no different >> kristen holmes and eagle pass will continue to monitor 4% trump on the ground. there we are also standing by for president biden, who is set to speak any moment in
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brownsville, texas where he's just been briefed five federal officials will take those remarks live when they happen as we wait, i want to bring in former republican congressman will hurd, who represented a district on the majority of texas's border with mexico, and is well-versed in all of these issues. congressman, can i just first get your reaction to what you heard from donald trump and also just the criticism because of that, that he's not near the biden's not going near tucson where it's the height of this crisis, but also trump isn't going there either today >> so i think what you heard is what you're going to hear if he is the nominee for the rest of the election some of it was just incorrect. i take your fact checker had it right? when donald trump is president, he deported less people than president obama of the new wall that was built, it was less than 50 miles. the rest of that was existing. i mean, it was his policies that started this crisis and it was in joe biden
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is continuing this and has made this crisis significantly worse than it was under, under, under donald trump. and the reality about the border is it changes day by day. and so a place that may be quiet one day is going to get become a place where there's a lot of traffic and a lot a lot of action in a lot of problems so that's the reality of the border. and unfortunately, i think what, what americans saw was that this is donald trump continued to complain about a problem not providing the solutions that we need to solve this. the fact that it was key was the one that killed the bill and the senate that could have gotten some help more needs to be done. and this is, this is not normal. 5.6 million people coming into our country legally under president biden is not normal i think americans want to return to normalcy, and that's why i hope eye on super tuesday more people pulled it to pull the lever for nikki haley because she governor's,
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you know, how to solve problems >> she's congressman hurd, we are checking your connection. i think we lost you briefly. i should note what we are watching right now is president biden, he is being briefed by officials on the ground there in brownsville, texas. his first trip to the border. and about 13 months is you see him there meeting with officials? we can, hear him speaking. let's listen to and see if we can hear the word here. >> that one point of one billion, 111 trillion, 200 billion bill passed that has infrastructure, money. it could be a game changer here we're still scratching our heads like, what are we going to do i i just admire your not only your courage and your intellect and your judgment, but that's your role that keep at this. so understaffed. no, i really mean
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it it's incredible. >> one point, sir. >> i know it's one team, one fight easy to all the sainz are worth saying. but i'll tell you what getting it done is a lot harder. as i think the american people should know, just how much a combination of risk work and dedication there has been trying to get this done. >> you're listening there to president biden. he's just been meeting with officials at a cbp official and other immigration officials. he was just briefed by them. we are going to hear from all remarks from the president on the southern border in this dueling appearances as he is there not far away, about 300 miles away for president trump is on the ground in eagle pass. we're going to take a quick break. we'll be right back with those remarks in just a moment. >> this situation with wolf blitzer night at six, what cnn did you know, most dish salts don't remove all the grease even with scrubbing. >> what i just clean them tried on platinum, it removes 99% of greece and food residue that's
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why don is trusted to save wildlife affected by oil. don platinum cleans to the squeak >> sore throat, gutter music since the suit wrote medicated drops, uniquely formulated for rapid relief that lasts and lasts get mucinex instance. it's come back season turbotax now offers a lifetime guarantee when you file your taxes, terror attacks guarantees 100% >> before we still don't like to say a few words about the devastating wildfires. are scorching texas panhandle and northwest oklahoma you yesterday, >> biggest i will go to four to president biden, who's speaking after we heard from former president trump on the southern border in brownsville, texas i'm going to start i directed my team who are any possible to help protect the people in the communities threatened by these fires. in response to specific requests from may from the state. we've already had more than 500 federal personnel here
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working on fire suppression. that includes the deployment of 100 and firefighters and more on the way as well as dozens of dei of additional fire engines air tankers, small planes, helicopters to help fight the flames. and fame has already guaranteed that texas and oklahoma will be reimbursed for the cost of keeping folks safe. and we're grateful for the brave first responders, risking their lives to save others. and we urge, we urge folks to listen to the warnings from a local official officials listen to them. i've flown over law these wildfires since i've been president and matter of fact, i've been helicopter in the west and the southwest and northwest flown over more land, burned to the ground all the vegetation gone than entire state of maryland and square footage. the idea there's no such thing is climate change. i love that man. i love some of my man with all friends, so we still think there's no climate
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change. well, my administration going to keep building on the progress we've made fighting climate crisis and we're going to keep help folks rebuild themselves in the wake of these disasters. and we rebuild to the standards that are up the up-to-date standards and building codes and the rest, because a lot of your flight i over these areas that are burned to the ground, you'll see in the midst of 20 homes that are just totally destroyed, one home sitting there because at the right roof on it since i took office famous provide a texas alone over $13 billion billion to three years in disaster relief. after fires and winter storms across the state when disaster strike, there's no red state or blue state where i come from, or just communities and families looking for help so we're standing with everyone everyone affected by these wildfires. i'm going to continue to help her respond and recover now, turning to the purpose of my visit i want to thank congressman gonzalez
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thank you for the passport into his district, but he's been a great partner is also want to thank merrick memory. merrick collins for his partnership. and ronna. thank county judge, to reno. for over 30. no local officials who've joined us here today. no one no one works harder for a safe, secure border. and all of you and secretary mayorkas has joined us today and he's joined by seven mirrors and cities he's in towns across south texas for county judges hear from across the say i told the county judge that i used to be accounting official that's the hardest job in america. in politics, you know why? i think you do everything you don't have the budget. so anyway, and the two leaders in texas, lead singer statehouse leader trace here, martinez fisher and the state senate leader caroll alvarado
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and it looked and all the other local officials that are here today, i want to say thanks folks. it's real simple. it's time to act as long past time to act. i just received a briefing from the border patrol at the border as well as immigration enforcement, asylum officers and they're all doing incredible work under really tough conditions. really tough because you they told me what they what you already know and we already know. they desperately need more resources say it again, they desperately need more resources, need more agents, more officers, more judges, more equipment in order to secure our border folks is time for us to move on. this we can't wait any longer. folks in my first day as president, i introduced a bill i sent to congress a comprehensive plan to fix the broken immigration system and to secure the border but no action was taken. then months ago, my team began a serious negotiation in a bipartisan group of senators, democratic leading, conservative republicans and
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progressive democrats. and the result of a compromise bill. it's the toughest set of border security reforms we've ever seen in this country it's pretty basic with this deal. we could hire 1,500 additional border security, 1,500 additional officers and officers. and between ports of entry for the last four years, staffing has been roughly that flat. as flat age is working overtime, spending long hours patrolling the border, making major sacrifices and i know it takes a big toll on them and their families. that's why in december, i signed a bill finally getting border patrol agents was i've been pushed by i'm reminded by the congressman overtime pay they deserved finally getting overtime pay. i mean, it's ridiculous and took this long it was long past time and i was proud to do it, but we need to do more this time to step up. it's time to step up. >> provide them with
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>> significantly more personnel. and cape ability. we also need more immigration judges to help handle the backlog 2 million cases. backlog of 2 million cases that is bipartisan deal would provide funding for 100 more immigration judges immediately will also establish new efficient and fair process for the government to consider asylum claims. for those because arriving at our border today, the process to get a decision on asylum claim takes five to seven years you all know it down here, but the people around the country don't understand it. as far too long to command you say, you say i have a credible fear and we've changed that standard, make it hard. we want to change, make it harder. and what. happens to say, well, okay, you can run the country but come back in five to seven years. maybe as many as eight years and you'd get a hearing from before a judge determined whether you can stay. this will encourage more people. this encourages more people to come to the contrary if they get by
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the first, they got another 578 years before they have to do anything because they know they cannot handle the case loads quickly. and there'll be able to stay in this country in the meantime the new policies in this bill and additional 4,300 additional asylum officers we'll be able to reduce that process to less than six months. that would have a serious deterrent effect on those coming north when a criminal thanks will get you in north. what's 8,000 bucks? this in a way, let me get this straight i'm going to go north. skunk cost me 68 and probably more closer to eight, i guess thousand dollars equivalent and i'm going to get there. and six months they may be able to get rid of me. >> i don't know >> six months, seven years, two different things the person is thinking about entering united states, understands the cases to be cited in a few weeks or months instead of five to seven years. they're less likely to come in the first place. could not go into hey, the cartels,
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thousands of dollars to make that journey. knowing that will be turned around quickly >> look >> we also need more cutting-edge inspection machines to detect and stop fentanyl a manner in the united states of america a year ago, i stood at the border and i'll pass on. i watched these machines that work they were able to detect everything from fentanyl to weapons to people being smuggled in cargo containers. this, this compromise bill would provide an additional $43,424 million for 100 more of these machines. and can save lives in the process is compromised. those sessions also give me as president and are any of the next president emerged? authority to temporarily shut down the border between ports of entry when the numbers of immigrants and migrants, excuse me, overwhelm the border, started straining the border patrol's ability to process it's the same time at our legal ports of entry by karen brownsville we're making
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investments in infrastructure my bipartisan infrastructure law is going to provide nearly 4 billion new dollars to boost security, to ease waiting times at land and ports of entry like townsville. and i walked back again congressman, gonzales, of me get that through and get the past. was the law that you get the money for the exact that's how you got the money for the gateway bridge from that fund folks, the bipartisan border security deal as a win for the american people. that's a win for the people of texas. and it's fair for those legitimately have a right to come here to begin with. so when for the people of brownsville and i believe that's why the border patrol union endorsed it i believe that's why the national chamber of commerce and that's the chamber commerce endorsed. not known as the democratic organization within the capital d. >> look. >> and that's why the wall street journal endorsed it as well. this is a truly bipartisan initiative that's why the bipartisan south texas
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alliance of cities endorsed it. folks >> i didn't get i didn't and everything i wanted in that compromise bipartisan bill, but neither did anybody else a compromise is part of the process that's how democracy works. that's how supposed to work. >> compromise hi, this is a very positive step on a critical issue for the country all those issues for the country. and folks here in brownsville and all along the border know that we need to have their backs next year backs. i want the people to understand clearly what happened here. this bill was the united states senate was on its way to be passed then it was derailed by rank and file politan rank of partisan politics. the us senate needs to reconsider this bill and those senators who oppose it need to set politics aside and pass it on the merits. not on whether it's going to benefit one party or benefit the other party it's about whether it benefits the american people for the american people deserve the speaker. the house needs to put this bill on the floor
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because he put it on the floor on it would pass the majority of democrats and republicans both houses support this legislation until someone came along and said, don't do that on benefit incumbent. that's a hell of a way to do business in america for such a serious problem, we need to act. it's time for the speakers and some of my republican friends in congress were blocked in this bill to show a little spine pass a bipartisan border bipartisan as another remembered by park conservative leaders supported this border security bill less you remember who we worked for for god's sake? we worked for the american people. let me end with this i understand my friends this is there's an eagle pass today. so here's what i would say to mr. trump set of plans, policy issue, set of tele members of congress to block the southern station, join me we're all join, you. and telling the congress to pass this bipartisan border security bill. >> we can do it together.
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>> you know, and i know it's the toughest, most efficient, most effective border security bill is country's ever seen so instead of playing politics with the issue, why don't we just get together and get it done? unless you remember who the heck who work for worked for the american people not to democratic party, the republican party we worked for the american people unless remember who we are, where the united states of america no, i mean, just think about this. there's nothing nothing beyond our capacity. nothing. >> when we work together. and if all things we should be working together on this, we have the formula to get it done god bless you all. may god protect our border patrol object to our troops. now i'd like to turn us over to secretary mayorkas. thank you >> you've been listening there to president biden speaking in brownsville, texas. you're now hearing from the department of homeland security secretary
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alejandro mayorkas, as they are making president biden for him, his first visit to the border. and about 13 months, you see there border patrol officials standing behind him. he just was briefed by federal officials and the main point of his message there was calling on lawmakers to pass some legislation to address what is happening on the border of course, this comes after we saw democrats and republicans in the senate negotiate that bill. that was then blocked by house republicans who criticized the bill flooded part by former president donald will trump, who is also in texas, about 300 miles from where president biden is just speaking there in brownsville, part of what president biden said was he was essentially arguing that he can understand why lawmakers can pass something on infrastructure in a bipartisan way, but not when it comes to immigration cnn's priscilla alvarez was in the room as president biden was making those remarks, and priscilla, just in and of itself, it is notable that president biden is there. this is an administration including the vice president that once said,
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these kinds of border visits were grand gestures, more like photo-ops but now you see, obviously this is an issue that is vulnerable and weak for president biden. he is, they're saying i'm the one putting the solutions forward. it's congress that is standing in the way we proud of the men and women and that's why he can't learn. and that was really the theme of his operational briefing and also his remarks when president was briefed by federal immigration he repeatedly came back to but they were bolduan, not enough staff, not not technologies are interesting because he used republican talk to you just talking about fentanyl are talking about cartels the point sources of acquired a us later and to get that, he needs the help of congress. and that was also what was jarring you guys remarks where he walks through the senate border bill included, again, kaitlan, border security measures in recent memory. in fact, the president ticked some of them included saying that it's
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extraordinary emergency. dhs would allow the homeland security secretary to struck down the border if certain triggers. we're blown, the abrasive address discuss to show how far this way on fields and how they have burned almost high chair and given the urgency, surges at the mexico. and also as americares are increasingly so concerned about this particular issue. >> but i also want to >> mention caitlyne met before the end of his hasn't invited sold out former president donald trump didn't lesion, but he calling his predecessor, i could give them a message and that he said that is instead of playing politics where instead of swing republicans not to vote down provided president and vice or that former president donald trump should work with them or he would work with former president donald trump. it was a remarkable losing can watch it goes to show what i'm powerful donald trump, the republican party and voting on this image, waterville, also present in almost trying to live she'll
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show them as a key issue going into attorneys presidential election. so again, the president down here brian smell, odor control station, secretary, speaking now, following the president, and they're both going hammer and his point that they need more funds for the borders. >> we have provided and that >> they lead to world resort all of that goes right back to that border bill that was breaking that the senate senate republicans former president donald trump, whole pathway >> the president is still calling on house speaker mike johnson to put that bill on the house floor. he believes that if that if he took that move, that it would pass, but we've heard speaker johnson to make clear that he has no plans to do so. so what is the white house's is backup plan. i know they'd been talking about executive orders potential and immigration. what is within president biden's purview? what do they plan to do ahead of the election and deserve?
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>> finally there is consideration of an executive action limit the ability of migrants to seek asylum at the us-mexico border they crossed on the 20 that's what sources telling me. there's still work behind the scenes administration attorneys to hammer out whether this is a possibility and it would be anchored in the same authority. >> president donald trump actually kaitlan, i can hear homeland security calling out texas governor greg abbott. >> i want to know this >> because what the governor has done and setting threats to democratic led cities hasn't really changed type of how this white house as much to handle these issues. because now it's an issue that is going to the dr. of every democratic led city she's covering quite to the white house are doing on the border. so that is played into all of this calculus. but going back to what the white house is considering, they are considering that executive action, but would the white house officials i always come back is that it is a greater bill that would enshrine this into law. so even if there's an
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executive doesn't go, let's try as like older girls welcome. but on the sign, kaitlan all right. house here jimmy, into an issue that they really tried to come better for many executive orders with tied up in the courts the time priscilla alvarez, we'll let you listen into that and check back in with you. daniel dale is also still here with me and danya. we're just talking about former president trump's remarks on the border. when you listen to what he says and then there's this clear split-screen moment of what is very likely to be a presidential rematch this november. what did you hear in president biden's remarks? anything? in fact, check there. >> honestly, no. i mean, especially when i fact checked president trump and president biden is speaking next, i wanted to effect like on the current president as well, but what he did, kaitlan was a stick narrowly to the text of that bipartisan border deal that trump opposes. he argued that it should be passed, and he created this has its critics. so not only was there a juxtaposition in style with former president trump
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