Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard argued in a series of Wednesday tweets that President Donald Trump’s motive to shut down the U.S.-Mexico border is not about safety.
Gabbard is one of the many Democrats hoping to run against Trump in the 2020 presidential election. She released a video Wednesday in which she asserts that the president is only interested in closing the border because he’s trying to assure his base that he is a strong candidate on immigration issues.
[2/4] …and advanced nuclear tech to Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest spreader and propagator of terrorist/radical jihadist ideology; selling F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, etc. These examples expose the lie.
— Tulsi Gabbard (@TulsiGabbard) April 3, 2019
[4/4] …that means sacrificing the wellbeing of our country, then that’s the price he’s willing to pay. A true leader is willing to make personal sacrifice for the wellbeing of our country. Trump is willing to sacrifice the wellbeing of our country for his own selfish interests.
— Tulsi Gabbard (@TulsiGabbard) April 3, 2019
“President Trump just said he might close the border even though it will be damaging to our economy, claiming that ‘safety [and] security is more important to me than trade.’ Really? Selling hundreds of billions in arms sales and advanced nuclear tech to Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest spreader and propagator of terrorist/radical jihadist ideology; selling F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, etc. These examples expose the lie,” Gabbard said on Twitter.
“Trump’s closing the border isn’t because he cares more about security than trade, as he falsely claims, but rather it’s because he wants to prove to his base of supporters that he is tough on immigration,” the 2020 candidate explained.
“But all he cares about is his political interests, and if that means sacrificing the wellbeing of our country, then that’s the price he’s willing to pay. A true leader is willing to make a personal sacrifice for the wellbeing of our country. Trump is willing to sacrifice the wellbeing of our country for his own selfish interests,” she concluded. (RELATED: The Trump Administration Is Expanding A Program That Boots Asylum Seekers Back To Mexico)
Gabbard announced her candidacy for the White House in January and appeared to make her status as a veteran a key issue in her reasons for running.
“There is one main issue that is central to the rest, and that is the issue of war and peace,” she said in her announcement.
Trump first shared a potential plan to shut down the border Friday and said on Twitter that he would be shutting it down sometime this week: “I will be CLOSING the Border, or large sections of the Border, next week. This would be so easy for Mexico to do, but they just take our money and “talk.” Besides, we lose so much money with them, especially when you add in drug trafficking etc.), that the Border closing would be a good thing!”