Biden and Trump’s duel at the border

President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump recently visited the US-Mexico border, highlighting their contrasting approaches to border security. While Biden extended an olive branch to Trump, urging him to support a bipartisan border security bill, Trump blamed Biden for recent crimes committed by migrants.

• Joe Biden and Donald Trump both visited the US-Mexico border in Texas, highlighting their differing approaches to the issue.
• Biden extended an olive branch to Trump, urging him to join efforts to pass a bipartisan border security bill. However, a truce seems unlikely.
• Trump blamed Biden for recent crimes committed by migrants, using strong language to describe a recent killing allegedly by an undocumented Venezuelan migrant.
• The issue of border security is a key factor in the 2024 election.

• Americans overwhelmingly fault the government for how it has handled the migrant situation at the US-Mexico border.
• Economic factors (such as poor conditions in migrants’ home countries or better opportunities in the US) are widely viewed as major reasons for the migrant influx.
• Violence in migrants’ home countries is also considered a significant factor.
• A sizable majority of Americans see the situation at the border as either a crisis or a major problem.
• Republicans are more likely to describe it as a crisis, while Democrats view it as a major problem or minor problem.
• Concerns include economic burdens associated with the migrant influx and general problems with the immigration system¹.