Former US President Donald Trump has criticized his successor during a visit to the border with Mexico. “Biden is destroying our country,” concluded Trump, who was joined by Texas Governor Greg Abbott and dozens of other prominent Republicans.
Trump visited the border to draw attention to the topic at the heart of his original presidential campaign: tackling illegal migration. He claimed at Pharr that “millions of people” are illegally entering the country.
Despite his election defeat, 75-year-old Trump is still one of the most influential figures in the Republican Party. He has not yet said whether he wants to run again in the presidential elections in 2024. His host Abbott is also seen as a possible presidential candidate for the Republicans.
Migration remains a politically sensitive topic in the US. Border guards encountered 180,000 migrants in the border area with Mexico in May. According to figures from border security service CBP, that was the highest monthly total in about two decades.
Republicans blame Democrat Joe Biden for partially reversing Trump’s strict migration policy and halting the construction of a border wall. “We did a fantastic job,” Trump said, according to US media. “Now we have an open border. Very dangerous.”