During a Friday interview with CNN's Chris Cuomo, David Cicilline (D-RI) said that President Donald Trump is ranting about Mexico in an attempt to rally up his base.
Trump announced that he might shut down the Southern border. "If Mexico doesn't immediately stop ALL illegal immigration coming into the United States throug (sic) our Southern Border, I will be CLOSING the Border, or large sections of the Border, next week," he tweeted.
"The president has defined this crisis wrongly from the beginning. He wants to demonize the people who come across the border. His latest fix makes no sense -- to shut down the border," Cuomo said. "Why don't you seize the initiative and do something?"
"You are absolutely right," Cicilline said. "The president raises this issue every time he's feeling cornered. He uses this to ignite his base and to create excitement within his base. The Democrats have been in charge for about eight weeks. We passed HR-1, the most comprehensive ethics reform since Watergate."
"Every time he's feeling cornered he throws out the immigration villain because it rallies his base and gets you and others talking about it."
Watch below via CNN:
