WASHINGTON, D.C. — Bernie Sanders has found common ground with … President Donald Trump?
Yep. In a podcast interview this week, the Vermont U.S. senator praised Trump for securing the U.S.-Mexico border — a 180-degree turn following years of criticizing Trump on the issue.
Wyoming’s members of Congress were pleased to hear the change of heart.
But U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman dinged the socialist for not speaking up sooner during the Biden administration, when illegal crossings hit an all-time high.
What Sanders Said
Sanders sat for a wide-ranging interview on "The Tim Dillon Show," which streamed Wednesday but exploded after Fox News reported on it Friday.
“You don’t have any borders, then you don’t have a nation, right?” Sanders said. “Has historically the United States done well under Democrats and Republicans in protecting the border? The answer is no.
“Trump did a better job. I don’t like Trump, but we should have a secure border, and it ain’t that hard to do. Biden didn’t do it. Those before him did not do it. We should have a secure border, period. I think most people in Congress agree with that.”
Closely allied with U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, Sanders has a history of criticizing Trump on multiple fronts, including border enforcement.
Hageman: You're A Little Late
Hageman chastised Sanders for going along with the open-borders debacle in the Biden years.
“Bernie Sanders could have said this at any point in the previous four years as criminals and murderers were flowing through Joe Biden’s open borders,” the GOP congresswoman told Cowboy State Daily.
“Democrats continuously resisted common sense solutions at the expense of American citizens,” she said. “President Trump securing our border goes to show we did not need new laws, just a president who enforces them.”
Barrasso, Lummis: America Safer Now
Sanders' apparent reversal on border security sets an example for other Democrats to follow, U.S. Senate Republican Whip John Barrasso of Wyoming said.
“Joe Biden created a wide-open border and issued an open invitation to illegal immigrants. Donald Trump secured the border, enforced the law and protected American families,” Barrasso told Cowboy State Daily.
Sanders describes himself as a Democratic socialist and is technically an independent in the U.S. Senate, though he caucuses with Democrats.
“Apparently, even Bernie Sanders admits this is true,” Barrasso said. “More Democrats should share the view that President Trump’s actions to secure Biden’s wide-open border made America safer.”
Added U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyoming: “I’m glad that everyone, including Democrats, are finally recognizing that President Trump has secured our border and made America safer. It’s a win for America!”
Sean Barry can be reached at sean@cowboystatedaily.com.
