Florida Sen. Rick Scott on Sunday pushed back on the Democrats’ new talking point: that former President Donald Trump is to blame for the immigration crisis because he denounced a plan that allows the Biden administration to import up to 2 million illegal immigrants a year.
The Florida Republican appeared on “Fox News Sunday” to discuss the controversial deal on illegal immigration that Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Lankford has cut with Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and other left-wing Democrats.
Scott denied that Trump is driving the conversation on the bill more than the actual details of the plan itself.
Read: Oklahoma GOP Senator Defends Immigration Deal With Democrats, Slams Conservative Critics
During the interview with host Shannon Bream, Scott asserted that Lankford is on a “suicide mission” by working with Democrats on a controversial border bill.
That’s because President Joe Biden and the Democrats really don’t want border security, Scott said, and because Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has told Lankford he cannot add accountability measures requiring Biden to immediately secure the border.
Bream raised Trump’s influence on the plan — which is something Democrats are now arguing.
For example, last week, after Trump criticized the bill, Florida Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz, an alleged moderate, posted on X: “Donald Trump just killed the Republican Bill to stop the border and fentanyl crisis so that he can use it as an election issue for the next 10 months. Donald Trump now owns the border crisis.”
“He’s irrelevant to this conversation. He’s not in office,” Scott said of Trump.
Read: Florida Sen. Scott Says Oklahoma Sen. Lankford On “Suicide Mission” On Illegal Immigration
Scott noted that Trump and the rest of America are in the same position: No one has come up with a mechanism to force a “lawless” President Joe Biden to either enforce existing laws or abide by Lankford’s plan.
He also pointed out that he’s spoken to Trump, and Trump has not asked him to oppose Lankford’s plan.
“Don’t blame it on Trump,” Scott added. “It’s not what Trump thinks. The voters want a secure border — today.”
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