GOP vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance of Ohio visited the southern border in Cochise County, Arizona, on Thursday, where he criticized Vice President Kamala Harris for her handling of the border crisis. Vance slammed the Biden administration for stopping deportations, halting construction of the border wall, reinstating catch-and-release, and ending the Remain in Mexico policy.
Vance emphasized the need for commonsense policies to secure the border, such as implementing Remain in Mexico, ending catch-and-release, finishing the border wall, and re-implementing deportations. He described securing the border as “not rocket science” and called out the administration for its failures in addressing the crisis.
Former President Trump also announced plans to visit the border before November, further highlighting the issue as a key focus of the 2024 presidential race. Republicans have been critical of Harris’ leadership on the border, with some dubbing her the “border czar.”
In response, Harris highlighted her record of fighting to secure the border and fix the immigration system, including her work targeting transnational gangs as California Attorney General. She released an ad contrasting her support for a bipartisan border package with Trump’s actions, accusing him of siding with drug traffickers and cartels.
The back-and-forth between Vance, Harris, and Trump underscores the intense focus on the border crisis in the lead-up to the 2024 election. Both sides are using the issue to rally their base and draw a contrast between their approaches to immigration and border security.
