GOP lawmkers mockingly said CNN’s Jim Acosta unintentionally proved how a border wall is successful at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Acosta described the scene at the southern border as “tranquil” Thursday afternoon where part of a physical barrier is already in place ahead of President Trump’s visit. The White House correspondent, who often butts heads with Trump, showed the steel slats at the McAllen, Texas, area of the border in a video posted to Twitter and said that he did not see any sort of activity “resembling a national emergency situation.”
In response, Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., said Acosta’s reporting was proof that the border wall would work.
“Brilliant reporting from CNN’s @Acosta —walls work!” Cassidy tweeted. “Thank you Jim!”
Brilliant reporting from CNN’s @Acosta —walls work! Thank you Jim! https://t.co/Ymw9iCgPzx
— U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (@SenBillCassidy) January 10, 2019
House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., chimed in too. “Glad to see the steel slats are deterring illegal immigrants from attempting to cross the border exactly as @realDonaldTrump said they would. This is why we need to #BuildTheWall along the rest of our southern border. #WallsWork,” he tweeted.
Glad to see the steel slats are deterring illegal immigrants from attempting to cross the border exactly as @realDonaldTrump said they would. This is why we need to #BuildTheWall along the rest of our southern border. #WallsWork https://t.co/EWJYbq78Dn
— Steve Scalise (@SteveScalise) January 10, 2019
In his video, Acosta had also said, “As we are walking along here, we are not seeing any sort of imminent dangers, there are no migrants trying to rush toward this fence.”
Trump will be at the southern border in McAllen later in the day to help advocate his demand for roughly $5.7 billion in funding for border wall funding in the interest of national security. The resulting political standoff with congressional Democrats has led to a 20-day partial government shutdown, with no end in sight.
Notably, the White House revoked Acosta’s press credentials last year after he refused to give up the microphone during a press conference with the president following the 2018 midterm elections. Amid a legal challenge, his credentials were restored.
