The White House’s deputy spokesman slammed pro-amnesty GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham after the Senator suggested that President Donald Trump’s immigration priorities are determined by one of his aides.
“As long as Stephen Miller is in charge of negotiating immigration, we’re going nowhere,” Graham complained about Miller, who worked with then-Senator Jeff Sessions to successfully sink Graham’s “Gang of Eight” amnesty in 2013. “He’s been an outlier for years,” Graham complained Sunday while telling the reporters that employers in his state of South Carolina need a steady supply of cheap imported workers.
White House spokesman Hogan Gidley promptly pushed back at Graham, who has worked with Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin and other pro-amnesty advocates to undermine the President’s “Buy American, Hire American” policy:
As long as Sen. Graham chooses to support legislation that sides with people in this country illegally and unlawfully instead of our own American citizens, we’re going nowhere. He’s been an outlier for years.
Gidley’s public rebuke may reduce Graham’s media-magnified influence in the immigration debate.
Graham was with Durbin on January 11 when Trump studied and rejected their huge “Gang of Six” amnesty. Later, Durbin spread the claim that Trump used the word “shithole” when he was criticising immigration quotas for poor African countries. Durbin’s claim caused a scandal and pushed Democrats to block the 2018 stopgap funding bill.
Senator Graham: "As long as Steven Miller is in charge of negotiating immigration we are going no where. He’s been an outlier for years.” pic.twitter.com/6aR42Jeiu7
— Alan He (@alanhe) January 21, 2018
Graham’s claim about Miller echoes the Democrats’ talking points.
In numerous events, senior Democratic leaders taunt Trump by saying he cannot make a deal on immigration, that he keeps changing his views and that relies on his deputies. “Negotiating with President Trump is like negotiating with Jell-O. That’s why this will be called the Trump shutdown,” Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said Saturday.
The Democrats’ claims fly in the face of the 2016 campaign — where Trump’s much-described immigration policy was a critical reason for voters’ rejection of Hillary Clinton — and are undermined by Trump’s official statements and many immigration-related Tweets.
Thank you to the great Republican Senators who showed up to our mtg on immigration reform. We must BUILD THE WALL, stop illegal immigration, end chain migration & cancel the visa lottery. The current system is unsafe & unfair to the great people of our country – time for change!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018
The anti-Miller theme has been echoed by a growing number of Democratic activists.
Thank you Lindsey Graham for putting the blame where it rightfully belongs-with that arrogant, xenophobic, impetuous little turd Steven Miller.A 30 yr old toddler whose behavior is so irrational Jake Tapper had to have security remove him from the news desk he was so querulous.
— Deborah Lamson (@knowgirl1) January 21, 2018
Curious how Trump would react to stories that portray Steven Miller as the puppet master on immigration, manipulating his boss to push his own views.
— Tom Wright (@thomaswright08) January 9, 2018
Pro-American activists scoffed at Graham’s complaints and suggested that Graham thinks President Trump is so insecure that he can be made angry at Miller.
O I think Grahm is doing it on purpose to try and manipulate and make president mad at Miller for thinking he's in charge and not the President
— Lion & Lamb (@ljm_scuba) January 22, 2018
Of course that's what's going on. It's so transparent that I'm almost embarrassed for them. https://t.co/NYoiyocpRc
— Mark Krikorian (@MarkSKrikorian) January 22, 2018
Graham was a never-Trump during the 2016 primaries, where he tried to support Jeb Bush’s campaign and called Trump a “race-baiting, xenophobic bigot.”
When meeting with the press, Graham has praised immigration for supplying South Carolina businesses with a steady supply of cheap labor. Graham’s emphasis on cheap labor is rarely mentioned by the establishment media.
Sen. Graham Dances Around The Reality That Stephen Miller Is An Overt White Nationalist…which means stopping any immigration from people-of-color-populated countries and encouraging immigration from white-populated countries, like Norway #TrumpShutdownpic.twitter.com/rZJns6kQ0K
— Trump's ZombieLand (@StevenReyCristo) January 22, 2018
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