Democrats Flip on Border Crisis [OPINION]

The Democrats who were for cracking down on illegal immigration before they were against it now admit there is a crisis on the southern border that needs to be addressed–but it's all Trump's fault.

Got it.

The Hill says Democrats are ready to support a nearly $5 billion dollar proposal to address the "humanitarian crisis" at the border. It's a crisis that just a few months ago they said was "manufactured" by Trump for political reasons. When Trump said in January that the nation faced a "crisis of the heart and a crisis of the soul,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer disagreed.

“This president just used the backdrop of the Oval Office to manufacture a crisis, stoke fear and divert attention from the turmoil in his administration," he said.

So what has happened between then and now? The public is running out of patience and wants something done about–the crisis at the border. Polling continues to reflect a steadily increasing number of Americans believe that there is a crisis and they want it resolved.

The Democrats are only just coming to terms with the fact that the border situation and illegal immigration, in general, will be key issues that will benefit Trump in the 2020 campaign, and they are attempting to re-write history by blaming Trump for problems they helped to create and have refused to address.

By moving to the center on the immigration issue, the Democrats risk angering their base. The social leftists want open borders, and any move by the party's leadership to address the problem will be perceived as caving to Trump. That would serve to further splinter an already sharply divided Democrat Party just in time for the election cycle.

No matter what the Democrats do on the border issue, it benefits Trump and he knows it. Immigration will be the issue to watch as the elections draw nearer.

Barry Richard is the host of The Barry Richard Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. Contact him at barry@wbsm.com and follow him on Twitter @BarryJRichard58. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.