DeSantis criticizes Senate Republicans for ‘caving’ on immigration deal

Correction: This story has been updated to reflect that border security talks are being held between Senate Republicans and Democrats.

West Des Moines, IA — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) accused Senate Republicans of “caving” on efforts to secure a border deal during an event at his Iowa campaign headquarters on Saturday. 

”I’m sick of Republicans, you see what they’re doing right now in Washington with the senators doing some border agreement, which is basically caving on everything to the Democrats,” DeSantis told supporters at the event. 

“You know, some of these Republicans are just so out of touch with the voters,” the governor said. 

Senate Republicans have been huddling with Democrats in recent weeks to try and reach a border security deal, but several sticking points have emerged.

The presidential candidate’s comments came shortly before congressional leaders reached a deal to avert a government shutdown next week. The House and Senate must approve by Friday night to avoid a partial shutdown.

Conservative senators have pushed for a number of demands, including Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), who proposed giving out aid to Ukraine in $5 billion increments depending on how many migrants cross the border each month. Johnson has said that McConnell told Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.), who is leading border talks with Senate Democrats and the Biden administration, that he rejected Johnson’s proposal. Lankford said that Johnson’s demands divide the GOP conference. 

The flow of migrants over the southern border has dominated rhetoric on the campaign trail and Capitol Hill as Republicans criticized the Biden administration’s handling of the border. 

“Republicans want people that are here illegally to be deported, which we need to do. They want to end these insane border policies that Biden’s doing,” DeSantis said earlier this week. “Yes, they want a wall, they want to see that done and they also want to see action against the drug cartels.”

“And I think what you’re likely to see out of this deal, is the typical Lucy with the football, promising you’re going to deal with the border and then of course, the football gets pulled away and it’s the same old song and dance,” he continued, referencing a scene from the “Peanuts” comic strip.

Updated Jan. 14 at 3:17 p.m.