Trump Condemns Democratic “Obstructionists”

President Donald Trump continues to provoke Democrats as the partisan conflict surrounding immigration exacerbates. On Saturday, he posted a Twitter message accusing Democrats of being “obstructionists” as he works to secure the U.S.-Mexican border.

Were Democrats more cooperative, he wrote, then Congress could “write up and agree to new immigration laws in less than one hour.”

“Chuck & Nancy, call me!” He singled out Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, holding them responsible for the “horrors” unfolding along the border.

Earlier this week, a gigantic migrant caravan of more than 3,000 Central Americans broke down the Guatemalan gate to Mexico. Mexican police repelled most of them with riot shields and pepper spray as the latter climbed across the fence, waving Honduran flags and chanting slogans.

After the incident, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo chatted with Mexican officials to negotiate the arrangement of those arrested and made sure that the migrants would never reach the U.S.

At the same time, Trump is pressuring Honduran and Guatemalan governments to take the migrants back to their home countries. U.S. aid is at stake if the migrants’ asylum claims go through.

Trump has made the border crisis a major talking point as he rallies for GOP candidates ahead of midterm elections.

“Democrats want to throw your borders wide open to criminals. I want to build a wall,” Trump yelled to the crowd during a Friday rally in Arizona. “The Democrats don’t care that a flood of illegal immigration is going to bankrupt our country.”

The next day, Trump delivered a similar message to Nevadan residents along with Vice President Joe Biden.

Republicans hope to exploit the ongoing immigration crisis to prevent a possible Democratic takeover in the elections just 17 days away.

Trump’s former campaign advisor Barry Bennett candidly expressed that the caravan was “perfectly timed” to Republicans’ advantage. “I think it’s a big contrast point. All the Democrats are refusing to build the wall. It’s a good contrast,” he said.

However, their aggressive approach could easily backfire. Matt Barreto, co-founder of the research firm Latino Decision, believes Trump is provoking immigrants all over the country and energizing the opposition camp.

“I think you run the risk of angering minority voters across the board, Latino, black and Asian-Americans and also alienating and distancing from whites, including conservatives and moderates, now that they see what’s happening with the family separations,” he said.

Either way, the midterms would offer a referendum on Trump and his immigration policies. The president seems determined to dominate public discourse to an unprecedented extent.

While Trump has repeatedly emphasized that he is pushing to build a U.S.-Mexico border wall as fast as possible, his supporters are still waiting to see if he would eventually deliver on the promise.

Featured image via AP/Oliver de Ros