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>> HASN’T CHANGED WHEN IT COMES
TO BORDER IMMIGRATION.
WE ARE URGING PRESIDENT BIDEN TO
CREATE A SPECIAL POSITION TO
BRING ORDER TO CHAOS, PUT
SOMEBODY IN CHARGE WHOSE FOCUS
IS JUST ON THE BORDER.
AND THAT’S JEH JOHNSON.
RACHEL: DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS
CUELLAR AND GRAHAM PLEADING WITH
THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION TO TAKE
REAL ACTION AT THE BORDER AND
TAP JEH JOHNSON AS THE NEW
BORDER CZAR.
THIS AS VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS
ANNOUNCES A TRIP TO ASIA DESPITE
THE CRISIS AT THE BORDER
INTENSIFYING.
HERE TO REACT IS ACTING DHS
SECRETARY KEN CUCCINELLI.
KEN, YOU REALLY GOT FEEL FOR
HENRY CUELLAR, THE
REPRESENTATIVE THERE IN TEXAS.
I MEAN, HE SOUNDS SO DESPERATE.
HE IS SO UPSET THAT.
>> HE IS DESPERATE.
RACHEL: WHAT’S HAPPENING TO HIS
CONSTITUENTS FOR THE PEOPLE
THERE IN TEXAS GRAHAM SAYING THE
ANSWER MIGHT BE JEH JOHNSON.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
>> WELL, LOOK, JEH JOHNSON HAS
BROAD BIPARTISAN RESPECT FOR HIS
PERFORMANCE AS SECRETARY OF
HOMELAND SECURITY.
HE WAS THE PERSON WHO GAVE US
THE BENCHMARK OF 1,000 A DAY AS
A CRISIS COMING OVER THE BORDER
AND THEY’RE AT SIX TIMES THAT AT
THE BORDER.
THEY ARE COMPLETELY OVERWHELMED.
AND, LOOK, I GIVE THESE TWO
GENTLEMEN ALL THE CREDIT IN THE
WORLD ON THE REPUBLICAN SIDE,
SENATOR GRAHAM IS OFF IN THE
BIPARTISAN MIX IMMIGRATION
ISSUES.
HE ISN’T ALWAYS THE TOUGHEST.
TO HAVE HIM AND THEN A DEMOCRAT
HENRY CUELLAR CALLING THIS OUT,
FIRST OF ALL, IS AN INCREDIBLE
VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE IN MAKER
CASS, THE CURRENT SECRETARY AND
VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS WHO IS
ESSENTIALLY FILLING THE ROLE.
RACHEL: YOU KNOW THE POLITICS OF
THIS.
YOU HAVE BEEN THERE.
YOU SAW WHAT IT WAS LIKE BEFORE.
YOU SEE WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW.
JUST BE HONEST AND TELL US
WHAT -- IS THIS DELIBERATE?
>> YES.
YES.
SO, THAT WAS WHAT I WAS GOING TO
SAY.
THESE TWO GENTLEMEN, I GIVE THEM
A LOT OF CREDIT FOR OPTIMISM
WITH RESPECT TO THE NOTION THAT
THIS ADMINISTRATION ACTUALLY
WANTS TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, THE
GREATEST INCONVENIENCE FOR THE
ADMINISTRATION IS THE COVID-19.
RACHEL: RIGHT.
>> THEY JUST WANT TO SHIP
ILLEGALS IN HERE.
THIS IS ABOUT PROCESSING THEM.
IN LOOK AT HOW THEY DEAL WITH
COVID-19 EVERYWHERE ELSE IN THE
COUNTRY.
EVERYWHERE ELSE IT’S A HAZMAT
EMERGENCY, BUT THEY DON’T GIVE A
RAT’S TAIL ON THE BORDER.
WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU.
RACHEL: SO INTERESTING YOU SAY
THAT.
>> IT’S INTENTIONAL.
RACHEL: LISTEN TO THIS SOUND OF
DR. ROCHELLE WALENSKY DOWN
PLAYING COVID AT THE BORDER.
>> RIGHT.
>> DO YOU KNOW THE SURGE, HOW
THE SURGE OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS
WITH COVID IS AFFECTING THE
OVERALL RATE, YOU KNOW, IT SOUND
LIKE THE PERCENTAGES DOWN THERE
ON THE BORDER ARE ASTRONOMICAL.
>> YEAH.
YOU KNOW, I WOULD SAY THAT THE
PERCENTAGES IN THE SOUTHERN PART
OF THIS COUNTRY ARE REALLY QUITE
HIGH, UM, AND I DON’T
NECESSARILY THINK WE CAN
ATTRIBUTE ALL OF THAT TO WHAT IS
GOING ON AT THE SOUTHERN BORDER.
RACHEL: NOTICE HOW SHE SKIRTS
THAT FAUCI DID THE SAME THING.
THEY ASKED HIM EARLIER IN THE
YEAR WHEN WE HAD THAT VARIANT
COMING IN FROM BRAZIL AND HE
SAYS THAT’S TOO POLITICAL.
I DON’T WANT TO GET INVOLVED IN
THAT HE DOESN’T MIND GETTING
INVOLVED WITH COVID RESTRICTIONS
FOR AMERICANS ALL OVER THE
COUNTRY.
>> RIGHT.
SO, LOOK, WHEN YOU DON’T GET AN
ANSWER TO A QUESTION LIKE THAT,
THAT’S AN ADMISSION THAT IT’S A
TERRIBLE PROBLEM IN THAT REGION.
AND IT IS A TERRIBLE PROBLEM IN
THAT REGION.
AND, LOOK, A LOT OF THIS WE TALK
ABOUT THIS LIKE PUBLIC HEALTH
BUT SO MUCH OF IT IS MASKS.
AND WHEN YOU THINK BACK TO THE
BEGINNING OF THE DELTA VARIANT,
THAT WAS WHEN IT WAS MOST
IMPORTANT TO BE KEEPING OUT, TO
NOT HAVE AN OPEN BORDERS POLICY.
NOW, WE’RE -- IT’S STILL THE
WORST PART OF THE COUNTRY, AND
THEY WON’T SHUT IT DOWN.
THEY WON’T EVEN SLOW IT DOWN.
THIS IS TERRIBLE FOR AMERICAN
SECURITY AND PUBLIC HEALTH.
RACHEL: YEAH.
IT’S A CRAZY TIME, YOU KNOW, AS
WE ARE TRYING TO GET OUT OF THIS
PANDEMIC TO HAVE AN OPEN
SOUTHERN BORDER POLICY.
KEN CUCCINELLI, THANK YOU SO