The Hoax
Trump Killed The Border Bill To Have An Issue To Run On
The Trump Killed The Border Bill Hoax claims that Donald Trump instructed Republicans to kill a bipartisan border security bill earlier this year so that he could use the border crisis as a central issue in his 2024 campaign. Democratic leaders, including Sen. Chris Murphy, have alleged that Trump bragged about sabotaging the deal, with Murphy asserting that Trump worked behind the scenes to undermine the legislation. Despite months of negotiation by GOP senators like James Lankford, the bill ultimately failed, and some claimed it would have passed with near-unanimous support if not for Trump’s involvement.
What Really Happened
Trump Opposed The Border Bill, And Here’s The Context They Hid From You
While it’s true that Trump opposed the border bill, his reasons were based on concerns that the legislation incentivized illegal immigration and did not serve the best interests of Americans, not so that he had a popular issue to campaign on. Trump publicly criticized the bill as a “bad bill,” warning that it failed to address key border security issues and was loaded with provisions that would encourage further illegal crossings. He was particularly critical of its ties to unrelated aid packages for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, which he believed distracted from the goal of securing the U.S. border. Trump’s opposition wasn’t about creating a campaign issue; it was about rejecting a flawed piece of legislation that he believed would worsen the border crisis, not solve it.
The Border Bill would Cost American Taxpayers $94.46 Billion in Non-Border Related Funding
- $60.06 billion for Ukraine’s fight against Russia
- $14.1 billion in security assistance for Israel
- $2.44 billion for U.S. CENTCOM operations and Red Sea expenditures
- $10 billion for humanitarian assistance in various conflict zones
- $4.83 billion to support Indo-Pacific allies
- $2.33 billion for Ukrainian refugees
- $400 million for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program
The total of these non-border related items does indeed come to approximately $94.46 billion.
Biden and Harris’ Policies Contributed to the Border Crisis
These concerns were further compounded by the Biden-Harris administration’s earlier actions that had already weakened border enforcement. Upon taking office, they reversed several of Trump’s immigration policies through executive actions, leading to a surge in illegal immigration:
- Biden halted further construction of the border wall and ended the national emergency declaration that allowed Trump to divert funds for wall construction12.
- He rescinded Trump’s order that broadened who immigration agents could arrest and deport, signaling a “reset” of deportation priorities3.
- Biden paused most deportations from the interior of the U.S. for 100 days, though this was later blocked by a federal judge45.
- He revoked Trump’s travel and immigration restrictions on several Muslim-majority countries6.
- Biden rescinded Trump’s “public charge” rules that made it harder for low-income immigrants to obtain green cards7.
- He suspended the “Remain in Mexico” policy that required asylum seekers to wait in Mexico for U.S. court hearings8.
The border bill would have further weakened immigration enforcement by legitimizing these policy changes. While it did allocate more resources for border control, those resources were only necessary because these policy reversals created the current crisis. The root problem wasn’t a lack of resources but the administration’s undermining of immigration laws and enforcement through executive policy changes.
Hoaxology | How The Hoax Was Made
Here’s how this hoax was made.
Selective Reporting
The hoax focuses only on claims that Trump killed the bill for political reasons, while omitting key facts such as Trump’s stated concerns about the bill incentivizing illegal immigration and its ties to unrelated foreign aid. This creates a skewed version of the story.
Factcheck.org – It sought to expedite the asylum process, essentially ending — in most cases — the so-called “catch and release” policy whereby migrants are released into the U.S. pending asylum hearings. And it would have increased the standard of evidence needed to win asylum status.
The bill also would have supplied more funding to interdict fentanyl and human trafficking, and it included $60 billion in aid for Ukraine and $14 billion for Israel.
Out-of-Context Quote
The claim that Trump “bragged” about killing the bill takes his remarks about opposing the bill out of context, making it seem as though his motives were purely political, while ignoring his policy objections.
Strategic Ambiguity
Democratic leaders like Sen. Murphy make vague claims, such as saying Trump’s “allies” were involved, which could lead audiences to infer Trump’s personal involvement in the negotiations, despite the lack of specifics.
Appeal to Authority
Murphy and other figures cite their own authority and experience in the negotiations to lend credibility to the claim, regardless of whether their interpretation reflects the full picture.
Credibility Laundering and Echo Chamber Effect
The story about Trump killing the bill may have been repeated across multiple outlets, amplifying the claim and making it appear more legitimate through sheer repetition, despite lacking robust evidence or context.
These hoax methods work together to craft a misleading narrative that Trump sabotaged the bill for campaign purposes, when his opposition was rooted in specific policy concerns.
The Secure Border Act of 2023
H.R. 2, also known as the Secure the Border Act of 2023, is a comprehensive and controversial border security bill that proposes significant changes to U.S. immigration policy. House Democrats voted it down in 2023 after the House GOP put it forward. Here’s a summary of its key provisions:
- Border Wall: Mandates the construction of at least 900 miles of wall along the U.S.-Mexico border9.
- Asylum Reform: Tightens asylum rules, making it more difficult for migrants to seek refuge1011.
- E-Verify: Requires employers to use an electronic system to verify workers’ immigration status12.
- Parole Restrictions: Limits the executive branch’s authority to grant parole to immigrants1314.
- Visa Overstays: Criminalizes overstaying a visa by 10 or more days15.
- Unaccompanied Minors: Reduces protections for migrant children, including expedited removal processes1617.
- NGO Funding: Prohibits federal funding for NGOs that provide services to certain immigrants18.
- Border Patrol: Increases staffing and resources for Border Patrol19.
- Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) Status: Restricts eligibility for this program20.
- https://www.texastribune.org/2021/01/20/joe-biden-trump-immigration/ ↩︎
- https://www.cbsnews.com/news/biden-immigration-executive-orders-daca-reverse-trump-policies/ ↩︎
- https://www.cbsnews.com/news/biden-immigration-executive-orders-daca-reverse-trump-policies/ ↩︎
- https://www.cbsnews.com/news/biden-immigration-executive-orders-daca-reverse-trump-policies/ ↩︎
- https://cis.org/Report/Bidens-Executive-Actions-President-Unilaterally-Changes-Immigration-Policy ↩︎
- https://www.cbsnews.com/news/biden-immigration-executive-orders-daca-reverse-trump-policies/ ↩︎
- https://www.cbsnews.com/news/biden-immigration-executive-orders-daca-reverse-trump-policies/ ↩︎
- https://www.cbsnews.com/news/biden-immigration-executive-orders-daca-reverse-trump-policies/ ↩︎
- https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4390204-5-things-to-know-about-border-bill-hr2-gop-shutdown-threats/ ↩︎
- https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-introduces-senate-companion-to-house-passed-secure-the-border-act
↩︎ - https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4390204-5-things-to-know-about-border-bill-hr2-gop-shutdown-threats/ ↩︎
- https://immigrationforum.org/article/bill-analysis-the-secure-the-border-act-of-2023/ ↩︎
- https://immigrationforum.org/article/bill-analysis-the-secure-the-border-act-of-2023/ ↩︎
- https://unidosus.org/blog/2024/02/08/house-republican-border-bill-is-extreme-and-destructive/ ↩︎
- https://immigrationforum.org/article/bill-analysis-the-secure-the-border-act-of-2023/ ↩︎
- https://immigrationforum.org/article/bill-analysis-the-secure-the-border-act-of-2023/ ↩︎
- https://unidosus.org/blog/2024/02/08/house-republican-border-bill-is-extreme-and-destructive/ ↩︎
- https://unidosus.org/blog/2024/02/08/house-republican-border-bill-is-extreme-and-destructive/ ↩︎
- https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-introduces-senate-companion-to-house-passed-secure-the-border-act ↩︎
- https://unidosus.org/blog/2024/02/08/house-republican-border-bill-is-extreme-and-destructive/ ↩︎
123456 (“daddy can I write some numbers on this part so people can read it?- my 5 year old. Love you!!)
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