Critics slammed President Biden on Tuesday after he claimed there were “more important things going on” when asked why he didn’t visit the southern border during a trip to Arizona.
Fox News’ Peter Ducey asked the president why he doesn’t plan to travel to the border to tour the state’s Phoenix semiconductor plant.
“Because there are more important things going on,” Biden replied. “They want to invest billions of dollars in a new venture.”
Biden’s comments drew criticism on Twitter.
U.S. President Joe Biden leaves Holy Trinity Catholic Church before attending the Phoenix Awards Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022, in Washington. Photographer: Samuel Corum/Bloomberg via Getty Images
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“Tell that to the Border Patrol,” said John Cooper of the Heritage Foundation.
The Border Guards Union also reacted to the news and compared it to the president’s visit to an ice cream shop.
“Visit the ice cream shop: essential,” they wrote. “Visit our border, where illegal immigration, deaths, escapes and fentanyl smuggling have set new records without stopping, resulting in thousands of deaths: Not important.”
Rep. Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-TX., listed several concerns about the southern border and said it was not on Biden’s “priority” list.
President Biden speaks at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
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White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Monday that the president had no plans to visit the border during his trip.
“He will visit TSMC, a company that is investing heavily in advanced chip manufacturing in Phoenix. This will bring new jobs and economic opportunities to Arizona,” Jean-Pierre said at a news conference. “And that’s largely because of the chips and the law of science.”
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“Committee Republicans have seen the border with their own eyes. It is a national security and humanitarian disaster,” they wrote in response to the comments.
House Judiciary Republicans echoed the sentiment, asking on Twitter why the president is “afraid to go to the border.”
In a statement from the White House, President Biden is working to secure the border, but is also focusing on the US economy.
“The president has made it clear that investing in the American economy and American communities is about leaving China behind and bringing American jobs back from overseas. In fact, Fox News’ analysis found that the economy is the most important issue for most Americans,” it said. in a statement. “If anyone thinks this should not be a priority for the President, they should say so loudly. Of course, the President is also working to protect our border and build a fair, orderly, and humane immigration system. It is more protected. To support the men and women of the Department of Homeland Security, advance a comprehensive proposal for immigration reform, and bring together 20 world leaders to jointly manage the migration challenge that affects the entire Western Hemisphere. financed more than all of them.
“President Biden is focused on real solutions, not political gimmicks. If border security is a top priority for Republican officials, it would be strange to vote against President Biden’s request for record funding for the Department of Homeland Security, as Representative Roy did. ‘ldir. to show.”
White House press secretary Karin Jean-Pierre spoke at the daily briefing at the White House in Washington.
(AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Jean-Pierre also claimed that Republicans are playing “political stunts” over the border.
“Instead of political gimmicks, what will Republicans in Congress do to solve this problem?” Jean-Pierre was responding to a question from Fox News’ Jacques Heinrich on Monday about visiting the border in 2023.
He said President Biden was at the border last week, although his visit was not recorded.
“He’s been there. He’s been on the edge. And since he took office…” Jean-Pierre said.