Josh Hawley Disagrees With GOP Leaders Who Say Border Deal Helps Trump

Republican Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri on Monday night rejected the notion to Newsweek that a bipartisan border enforcement deal being negotiated in the Senate would be helpful to former President Donald Trump if he wins reelection.

This puts him at odds with members of GOP leadership who suggest a better deal would likely not be reached under Trump due to Democratic opposition, meaning an agreement formed now could benefit Trump in the future.

"I think probably the most important thing we can do is change the occupant of the White House," Hawley told Newsweek. "The reason for that is the last administration had border crossings near all-time lows. This administration has it near all-time highs, and the law hasn't changed at all."

Over the four financial years coinciding with Trump's presidency, total annual encounters between border officials and migrants fluctuated from around 304,000 to nearly 852,000. Under President Joe Biden, the annual encounters have ranged from roughly 1.73 million to nearly 2.48 million.

Migrant advocacy groups say that part of the reason for the influx stems back to economic devastation and social unrest brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas has told Congress that legal reforms are needed to fully address the ongoing issue.

Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has advocated for a bipartisan border deal, to be unveiled and voted on in the coming days, which would serve as part of a larger national security package including aid to Ukraine. Congress-focused digital outlet Punchbowl News reported that McConnell told Republicans that a better deal would likely not materialize under Trump.

The No. 2 ranking Republican, Minority Whip John Thune, similarly told reporters that he believes Congress would not reach such a deal under Trump, and Senator John Cornyn of Texas, who served as whip prior to Thune, told Punchbowl that "there is some benefit longer-term to making changes in border security that then could be enforced by the next president."

Hawley, who differs from these senators in that he opposes funding for Ukraine—a priority for Democrats that has resulted in their willingness to make concessions on border policy—said that Republicans should not be banking on a future GOP president to take advantage of a potential deal to bolster enforcement efforts.

As Hawley put it, "the crisis is now," and he believes any potential new laws should be tailored to address GOP border enforcement priorities, even if a Democratic president, who decides how to enforce those laws, holds office.

"Another thing I would say is 'don't count your chickens,''" Hawley told Newsweek. "Who says that there's gonna be a Republican president. I mean, this president may well get reelected. I hope not. I'm not gonna vote for him. But let's be honest, it's not like this is a foregone conclusion at all."