A tense exchange occurred between CNN's Anderson Cooper and Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) over Congressional inaction to solve the Southern Border crisis, and it had the lawmaker turning on anybody who doesn't want a bill to be voted through to score political points.
"People on both sides of the aisle applaud you for that," Cooper told the Texas Republican who served the country as a Navy SEAL. "[Trump] has put his thumb on scale on this. I understand activist groups make money off this. He is making money off this. He is running an election. This is perhaps a winning issue for him. He does not want improvement despite all the talk of fentanyl, despite all the talk of national security issues. he doesn't want a deal —"
Crenshaw asked for specific evidence.
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Cooper then tried again. "Lots of people in the House have said that," he said. "There's Republicans in the House who supported HR.2 who are now saying, 'We don't need any border deal at all, and the only reason is because —"
H.R. 2 is the Republican bill that markedly aimed to change the way the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) would deal with undocumented immigrants and also negotiate with countries critical countries such as El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico when it comes to asylum.
Crenshaw told Cooper those who aren't trying to solve the problem are missing a critical window to hash out a deal.
"They are wrong," he said bluntly. "I disagree with them."
"I disagree with them in conversations today on the floor. I said, 'Look if we didn't need new Border laws, why did we pass HR.2," he said."
He then started to praise Trump's actions during his first term before he was voted out in 2020, such as changing the laws and forging agreements with Mexico and Northern Triangle countries.
"That's what he ended up having to do," said Crenshaw.
He then accused Cooper of baiting him into a verbal beef with the 45th president who remains in the lead to become the GOP candidate to challenge to become the 47th president.
"I know you want me to get into a fight with Trump... I'm not going to do it... We need a Border deal."
