CNN panelists shouted at each other Friday afternoon as a discussion over former President Donald Trump's campaign rally in Aurora, Colorado — where the MAGA leader pushed anti-immigrant rhetoric to MAGA supporters — steered toward a failed bipartisan immigration bill.
At the rally, Trump proclaimed, without evidence, that Illegal immigrants have been imported from "the dungeons of the third world."
"They come from the dungeons of the third world. Think about that. From prisons and jails. Insane asylums. Mental institutions And she [Kamala Harris] has had them resettled beautifully into your community to prey upon innocent American citizens."
Trump's speech became the topic of discussion on "The Lead" with anchor Jake Tapper.
"Not surprised he's doing. This won't be the last time he does it. He'll pick another city," said Ashley Allison, former national coalitions director for the Biden-Harris campaign in 2020.
Tapper noted that authorities in Colorado have pushed back on Trump's claim that Venezuelan gangs are taking over the city and, in particular, apartment complexes, and asked why the MAGA leader doesn't attack the "truth" of the issue.
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In response, Machalagh Carr, who served as chief of staff to former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, said, "Hyperbole works in campaigns."
"We have a massive problem that was completely ignored for 3 1/2 years by the Biden-Harris administration," she said.
As the conversation shifted toward a bipartisan immigration bill that Trump torpedoed.
Bryan Lanza, who served as deputy communications director for Trump's presidential transition team in 2016, defended his old boss and said the bill would've created a pathway to citizenship for some illegal immigrants.
"Donald Trump said that is not the policy we want, that is not the policy that at this particular time we can get," he said.
The remark earned a retort from Democratic strategist Chuck Rocha, who said he found it "hard to believe" that a conservative lawmaker from Oklahoma would have an "amnesty bill."
Carr chimed in: "Let's not rewrite history on that bill."
"The entire House of Representatives — the Republicans in the House — were not behind that bill," she insisted.
"Because of Trump!" shouted Allison.
"That was before Trump said anything!" Carr shot back. "They had passed HR2. They passed HR2 a year before."
As Allison laughed at Carr's explanation, Carr finished; "Let's not rewrite history on that bill."
The Border Act of 2024 was introduced in February by Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy after months of talks with Republican Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma and Arizona independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema.
The legislation fell apart after Trump denounced the bill and encouraged Republicans to kill it, even going so far as to call it a “gift” to Democrats.
Trump wrote on Truth Social: “A BAD BORDER DEAL IS FAR WORSE THAN NO BORDER DEAL.”
Watch the full clip below or at this link.
