Clinton faces backlash from the left after calling mass immigration ‘disruptive’
Democratic strategist Maya Rupert criticized former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on MS NOW on Monday, saying her recent comments on mass immigration are not helpful to the Democratic Party.
While in Germany for the Munich Security Conference, Clinton participated in a panel titled, "The West–West Divide: What Remains of Common Values." During the panel, Clinton surprised many of her Republican critics by admitting how much of an issue mass illegal immigration had become during President Joe Biden's term in office. One of the most widely quoted estimates, including by border czar Tom Homan, is that 10 million illegal immigrants crossed the border during Biden's term in office.
"It went too far, it's been disruptive and destabilizing, and it needs to be fixed in a humane way with secure borders that don't torture and kill people and how we're going to have a strong family structure because it is at the base of civilization," she added.
Her comments quickly went viral online, but were criticized during a panel on MS NOW's "Chris Jansing Reports."
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Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton argued that the Democratic Party had gone too far on the issue of mass immigration, warning it had become disruptive for the country. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
"Well, I appreciate Secretary Clinton, but I think honestly it is a mistake for Democrats to adopt that sort of positioning," Rupert said. "And I think really Republican talking points around immigration, I think that it's not a matter of 'did it go too far.' There was a point at which we talked about immigration as a holistic thing, it was a comprehensive system."
"Republicans were successful in getting us to talk about it only in terms of enforcement, so we're only talking about deportation," she continued. "But the fact that we sort of conceded the point that there should be a way for folks who have been living in the country, who are working, who are part of the engine that drives the economy and the fabric of communities, that there should be a way for people to get citizenship, when that conversation went away, that was around the same time we started seeing more chaos around the border. Those things aren't disconnected."
She suggested Democrats use the current debate surrounding immigration to "reorient the conversation" and address the issue of illegal immigration "humanely."
"I think that we make a mistake when we just sort of paint over all of that and focus on who was the biggest deporter, and were they able to do it humanely. That’s not all of our immigration system," Rupert said.
Past rhetoric from Democrats like former President Barack Obama has become a major talking point amid the larger conversation about how the border and immigration should be enforced. (Toni L. Sandys/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Old clips of Clinton and Obama talking about immigration enforcement resurfaced. The one clip that featured Obama, had him defending his deportation and immigration enforcement in 2010.
In a 2008 clip, Clinton appeared to back strong border security and penalties for those who illegally cross the border.
"I think we’ve gotta have tough conditions, tell people to come out of the shadows. If they’ve committed a crime, deport them. No questions asked, they’re gone. If they’ve been working and are law-abiding, we should say, ‘Here are the conditions for you staying. You have to pay a stiff fine because you came here illegally. You have to pay back taxes, and you have to try to learn English. And you have to wait in line,'" Clinton said.
Trump Warns Iran of ‘Total Obliteration’ if They Try To Harm Him HH
President Donald Trump warned Iran that continued assassination threats made by leaders in Tehran would be met with the country getting “blown up” and “total obliteration.”
“Well, they shouldn’t be doing it but I’ve left notification,” Trump said. “Anything ever happens, we’re going to blow the whole — the whole country’s going to get blown up.”
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Biden-era Intelligence officials briefed Trump about the alleged threats against him during his presidential campaign in 2024. Former Attorney General Merrick Garland said the plot was retaliation for the killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani by the U.S. in 2020, during Trump’s first administration.
Despite being briefed by his administration, Trump on Tuesday said President Biden “should have said something” on the matter, adding that presidents should defend each other on such matters.
“But I have very firm instructions,” Trump continued. “Anything happens, they’re going to wipe them off the face of this earth.”
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Trump also spoke about the ongoing negotiations between the United States and Iran in Geneva.
“What are you expecting from these Iran talks in Geneva?” a reporter asked Trump aboard Air Force One.
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“So, I’ll be involved in those talks indirectly, and they’ll be very important. We’ll see what can happen. Typically, Iran’s a very tough negotiator; they’re good negotiators — or bad negotiators. I would say they’re bad negotiators because we could have had a deal instead of sending the B2s to knock out their nuclear potential. We had to send the B2s. I hope they’re going to be more reasonable. They want to make a deal,” Trump said.
“Have you been told that a deal is next to impossible?” the reporter followed up.
Trump replied, “No. I think they want to make a deal. I don’t think they want the consequences of not making a deal. They want to make a deal.”
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Trump previously said that he instructed officials to destroy Iran if they killed him.
The president said this after signing an executive order right after taking office that gave him all the tools he needed to talk to Iran’s government and put as much pressure on Tehran as possible.
“They haven’t done that and that would be a terrible thing for them to do,” Trump said at the time. “Not because of me — if they did that, they would be obliterated. That would be the end. I’ve left instructions, if they do it, they get obliterated, there won’t be anything left. And, they shouldn’t be able to do it.”
Trump warned last week that the United States could send additional warships toward Iran if ongoing diplomatic negotiations fail to produce a deal, signaling that military pressure could increase as talks over Tehran’s nuclear program stall.
In remarks to Axios, Trump said the administration is considering deploying a second aircraft carrier strike group to the region in addition to the USS Abraham Lincoln and 9 additional warships already positioned near Iran, though he expressed hope that a diplomatic agreement can still be reached.
“Either we will make a deal or we will have to do something very tough like last time,” the president told Axios on Tuesday, a reference to the bombing of three Iranian nuclear sites in June.
“Last time they didn’t believe I would do it. They overplayed their hand,” Trump added. “We have an armada that is heading there and another one might be going.”
The president emphasized that the United States is seeking to persuade Iran to curb its nuclear ambitions, halt the development of its ballistic missile program, and end support for militant proxy groups. Iranian officials have so far resisted expanding negotiations beyond nuclear-related issues.
He described the nuclear issue as a “matter of course” part of any negotiation, but also insisted that an agreement with Iran must also address Tehran’s ballistic missile stockpiles, per Axios.
Trump said the US “can make a great deal with Iran,” and Tehran “very much wants to make a deal.”
Trump’s comments came ahead of a planned visit to Washington, D.C. by Benjamin Netanyahu, who is expected to press for a tougher U.S. stance and broader terms for any Iran deal that would include constraints on Tehran’s missile capabilities and regional activities.
Before heading to DC, the Israeli leader previewed some of what he and Trump were going to discuss.
“I will present to the president our understanding of the principles of the negotiations (with Iran) – the essential principles that are important not only to Israel – but to everyone who wants peace and security in the Middle East,” Netanyahu told reporters, per the New York Post.
The administration has already bolstered its military presence in the Middle East, with multiple warships and aircraft deployed as a means of deterrence and leverage.
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