DC: White House senior policy adviser Stephen Miller defended President Donald Trump’s national emergency declaration during a “Fox News Sunday” appearance with anchor Chris Wallace.
“What the president was saying is that, like past presidents, he could choose to ignore this crisis, choose to ignore this emergency as others have, but that’s not what he’s going to do,” Miller told Wallace, responding to a question about the president saying on Friday that he “didn’t have to” declare the emergency.
The Fox News anchor compared the border situation in 2000 when “1.6 million people were stopped crossing the border illegally” to last year, when “less than a quarter that many were caught.” He also contended that “80 to 90 percent of the cocaine, heroin and fentanyl seized at the border is seized at ports of entry, not along unfenced areas.”
“And in 2017 twice as many of the new people in the country illegally were from Visa overstays as were from crossing the border,” said Wallace. “Again, where’s the emergency, the national emergency to build a wall?”
Miller responded by pointing out that “illegal immigration doubled from 6 million to 12 million” during George W. Bush’s time in office. “That represented an astonishing betrayal of the American people. I’m not going to sit here and tell you that George Bush defended this country on the southern border, because he did not.”
He then cited several key differences between then and now.
Back then, 95 percent could be turned around in a matter of days. As a result of loopholes, activist judicial rulings and increasing sophistication from cartels, the reality is, is that more than half the people crossing the border are what we call non-impactable, they can’t be turned around. What you see is sophisticated operations and smugglers will actually push out migrants and children and family units to divert border agents, and then because there’s not secured areas with the wall, they’ll then cross after the border agents have been diverted to those areas.
During a back-and-forth about drug deaths, Wallace agreed that more people have died of late, but stated that 80 to 90 percent “don’t come from unfenced areas but come from ports of entry.”
“The problem with the statement, that you’re apprehending 80 to 90 percent of drugs at ports of entry, is that’s like saying you apprehend most contraband at TSA checkpoints at airports,” said Miller. “You apprehend the contraband there because that’s where you have the people, that’s where you have the screeners. I assure you if we had people at that same density and screeners at that same density across every single inch and mile of the southern border, you’d have more drugs interdicted in those areas. You don’t know what you don’t know and you don’t catch what you don’t catch.”
Miller then defended Trump’s national emergency declaration as allowable by Congressional statute.
“I guarantee you this, if Donald Trump had said he’s invoking the national emergency authority to build a security perimeter in Iraq, or Afghanistan, or around a military installation in Syria, there would not have been one word of objection from Congress,” said Miller. more
Stephan Miller does a good job defending the President and his policies. I hope he sticks around till 2024.
I’m a bit surprised that the Courts haven’t already declared Trump’s declaration unconstitutional and therefore blocked it and any actions taken in relation to it.
Chris wallace wouldn’t make a pimple on his dad’s ass.
That Guy who was president before POTUS Trump didn’t have 50 people in his administration or cabinet who, if the best parts of their brains were lumped together, would be as smart, wise, or articulate as Miller. He’s amazing.
How the heck do you know how many drugs are coming through un-fenced and un-monitored areas Chris??????
What a dope.
I can’t stand CW. Never could, even when I agree with him (which is rare). He’s just irritating and smug.
Wallace was exposed for the globalist that he is. People bitch about Fox News being too conservative. What a joke. Great job by Miller.
Beachmom — Right?! But God help you trying to explain that to some knucklehead; they’d think you were trying to play a sidewalk con on them.
Miller is a national treasure
Chris doesn’t know about the many tunnels that drugs come through. Even though FOX News keeps reporting about them.
The ‘caravan” invasions headed toward the Border are reason enough for a Wall. And since the Secure Fence Act 2006 is LAW,enacted by CONGRESS, I don’t see what the problem is. He’s not going around Congress when they’ve already passed LAW to build Secure Fence in 06.
Miller is one of us. I’d vote for him any time.
Fox News is Conservative?? Give me a break.
Chris Wallace, Juan Williams, Geraldo, Shep Smith, ‘Judge’ Napolitano, Fox and Friends, Kneel Cavuto….
I’ll pass.
Wallace is such an insufferable elitist (D)ouchebag.
He entered an intellectual contest entirely unprepared.
“Chris wallace wouldn’t make a pimple on his dad’s ass.”
You mean lard salesman Myron Wallace? :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmIwJfWh5mw
Wallass is just trying to outdo his father. He has succeeded. He is, unbelievably, even more obnoxious in his snide, deceitful, condescending arrogance.
Obama used an EO to break the law.
Trump is declaring an emergency to enforce a well established law that can’t be on firmer legal ground.
So much for Chrissy’s “gotcha hypocrite” tu quoque.
The Demoncraps better learn to fear this Miller dude even more! Imagine a Trump Jr./Miller presidential card…
been snow-birding to southern Arizona for 16 years. my home is abt 30 miles north of Mexico. border patrol occasionally knocks on my door and asks for permission to park in my driveway. the substantial activity around my home includes drugs, weapons, sex trafficking, illegal on illegal assaults, theft, and more. border patrol tells me the people traffic is 20% otm (their designation: other than Mexican). my home is within 10 miles of where Agent Brian Terry was murdered. ALL of the above happens outside of the Nogales port of entry,