1600 Daily The White House • June 26, 2019 Suddenly, Democrats Say There is a Border Crisis

The White House • June 26, 2019 Suddenly, Democrats say there is a border crisis On February 15, President Donald J. Trump declared a national emergency to address the security and humanitarian crisis on our southern border. That month, more than 40,000 alien families arrived—an unprecedented surge that America’s outdated and overstretched immigration system is ill-equipped to handle. Something to share: 26 times they called the border crisis fake news Congressional Democrats were swift and nearly unanimous in their response, as Washington Examiner columnist Byron York detailed today: “A fake crisis at the border,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi proclaimed.   “A crisis that does not exist,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said.   “There is no crisis at the border,” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer declared. The media was quick to endorse that narrative. Morning Joe deemed the emergency “an imaginary border crisis.” The Washington Post editorial board called it “make-believe.” The New York Times “fact-checked” the President’s claim of a border crisis and reported it false—before contradicting themselves two paragraphs later. How times change. “This nation is facing a humanitarian crisis at the southern border,” House Democrats tweeted today. Don’t mistake that for an admission of fault. They make clear the problem isn’t Congress’ years of refusal to fix America’s broken immigration system. Their culprit is U.S. law enforcement, whose officers are guilty of running “concentration camps” for illegal immigrants, as one freshman Congresswoman put it. President Trump has requested $4.5 billion in emergency aid—$3.3 billion of it marked for humanitarian assistance—to help law enforcement address the historic surge in large migrant groups arriving at our southern border. Congress has yet to pass it. Just as crucial, the only long-term solution to this humanitarian crisis is for Congress to close the catch-and-release loopholes that fuel child smuggling into the United States. As long as children can be used to evade our laws, they'll continue to be put in danger. So far, Democrats have resisted every single effort to shut off the magnets for child smuggling. “Fixing the laws would solve everything,” President Trump said today. “And they could do it so quickly. It’s so simple,” he added. “They know what to do. They just don’t want to do it.” Watch: President Trump says “Democrats are solely responsible” for this crisis. More: Top 5 border falsehoods pushed by Congressional Democrats and the media President Trump is on his way to Japan President Trump took off this afternoon for his second visit to Japan in less than a month—this time to take part in the 2019 G20 Summit in Osaka. The G20 is an opportunity for world leaders to discuss the biggest challenges facing our global economy. President Trump’s goal this week, as always, is to fight for the best deals and outcomes possible to lift up America’s workers.  Watch: President Trump is wheels up for Osaka, Japan A truly level playing field means breaking down foreign barriers—both the tariff and non-tariff kind—that have stifled America’s economy and taken away too many jobs. Unlike his predecessors, President Trump is willing to use every tool at his disposal to bring these countries to the negotiating table and agree to better terms for our citizens. “We are a country that's respected again,” the President said before boarding Marine One this afternoon. Jared Kushner on a pathway to peace in the Middle East In Bahrain this week, senior Trump Administration officials took part in a two-day summit that unveiled a new economic roadmap for the Palestinian people. “The overall consensus is that [Peace to Prosperity] is a very executable plan,” Senior Advisor to the President Jared Kushner said of the response from representatives of more than 20 participating countries. “There is so much thirst and excitement about investing in the West Bank and Gaza.” See President Trump’s economic vision for the Palestinian people. Photo of the Day Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian President Donald J. Trump talks to reporters on the South Lawn of the White House prior to boarding Marine One to begin his trip to Japan | June 26, 2019