The First Presidential Debate of the Year
At the end of June, current US President Joe Biden stood face-to-face with Donald Trump for the first presidential debate of 2024.
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The debate was marked by a heated exchange, with both candidates expressing their opposing views on border security policies.
Back and Forth Between Trump and Biden
During the debate, Biden blamed Trump for policies that led to the separation of migrant families at the US-Mexico border, according to The Hill.
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In response, Trump argued the United States border was under control during his tenure in office, stating that “we had the safest border in history” under his leadership as president.
US Adults Disapprove of Biden's Approach to Immigration
Throughout Biden’s time as president, his administration has reversed several of the policies enacted by Trump aimed at preventing migrants from crossing the borders, including those trying to do so illegally.
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This decision may have negatively affected his ability to fully police the border, which has been noticed by the American public. According to data from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, only three out of every ten US adults agree with Biden’s approach to immigration.
Biden Remains Confident With Immigration Policies
Despite his low rating so far as immigration is concerned, Biden himself remains confident in his abilities to properly manage the nation’s borders.
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During the debate, the current president even alleged that the National Border Patrol Union has the utmost confidence in his abilities, claiming “the border patrolmen” even endorsed him, per The Independent.
Biden Claims The Border Patrol Endorsed Him
Biden emphasized this belief: “By the way, the Border Patrol endorsed me, endorsed my position.”
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The 81-year-old continued, “I’ve changed it in a way you now have a situation where there’s 40 percent fewer people coming across the border illegally; it’s better than when he left office.”
Border Patrol Union Sets the Record Straight
Shortly after the debate, the Border Patrol Union, which speaks on behalf of all of the organization’s employees, shared a comment to X (formerly Twitter) claiming the opposite of what Biden had implied.
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“To be clear, we never have and never will endorse Biden,” wrote the Border Patrol Union.
What Was Biden Referring To?
Biden was likely referring to the National Border Patrol Council’s endorsement of legislation released by several senators earlier this year that aims to solve several problems associated with border security.
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The Biden administration supported the legislation. However, House Republicans made it clear early on that it would not pass, and Trump himself urged all Republican senators to vote against it.
Trump Calls Out Biden During Debate
Trump didn’t hold back during the debate, blaming the Biden administration for a multitude of problems associated with the border and his handling of illegal immigrants.
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The Republican candidate argued Biden had stepped aside and allowed an unprecedented number of illegal migrants to run across the border, overwhelming states and their social safety net programs.
Trump Claims Illegal Immigrants Are Taking Black Jobs
Trump also said Biden is to blame for a significant loss of jobs for Black people in the US.
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“The fact is that his big kill on the Black people is he’s let millions of people come in through the border. They’ve taken Black jobs now. It could be 18, 19, or even 20 million people. They’re taking Black jobs,” he said.
The Worst President in History
Trump followed this up by claiming, “They’re taking Hispanic jobs. You haven’t seen it yet, but you’re going to see something that is the worst in our history.”
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The former US President’s comment led to the phrase “Black job” trending on the popular social media platform X. Many users began questioning what careers Trump had in mind when he alleged the migrants were stealing Black jobs.
Biden and Trump Find No Common Ground
Throughout the debate, it became increasingly evident that Biden and Trump held firm and contrasting opinions on immigration and borders, and the pair found no common ground.
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In the end, Trump referred to Biden as one of the worst presidents to ever sit in the office, while the latter labeled Trump a felon and claimed he was a threat to democracy in the US. Going forward, US Voters will come to place their trust in one of the two men; however, it’s unlikely Biden will gain the confidence of the Border Patrol in the near future.