Video: Top Democrat gives Trump 'credit' for securing the border

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) admitted on Wednesday that President Donald Trump should “get credit” for securing the southern border between the United States and Mexico following the open border policies of former President Joe Biden’s administration.

Last month, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott announced that the Trump administration had reached “six straight months of zero releases” of illegal immigrants at the southern border. Customs and Border Protection also confirmed that total encounters and apprehensions were over 90 percent below levels experienced under the Biden administration.

During an interview on CNN’s “The Situation Room” on Wednesday, the House minority leader was asked whether he would give the president credit for securing the border.

“According to government data, U.S. Border Patrol has released zero undocumented migrants into the U.S. for six consecutive months, and daily average apprehensions at the southwest border are lower now than under Biden,” CNN co-host Pamela Brown said. “Are you willing to give President Trump any credit for that?”

In response, Jeffries said, “Republicans promised that they were going to go after violent felons. We support that. They’re not going after violent felons. They’re breaking up families, law-abiding immigrant families.”

Jeffries argued that Trump’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations deporting illegal immigrants across the United States are “completely and totally unacceptable” and claimed that polls show Americans disapprove of the president’s immigration policies.

While Brown echoed the Democrat minority leader’s claims, the CNN host pushed Jeffries to answer whether he would give Trump credit for securing the border.

“In terms of securing the border, can you give President Trump any credit for securing the border?” Brown asked. “Because, as you know, that was a big issue under the Biden administration when you had record border crossings. And those border crossings have gone down dramatically. Can you give him credit for that?”

“The border is secure. That’s a good thing. It’s happened on his watch. He wants to claim credit for it. Of course, he’ll get credit for that,” Jeffries admitted. “In terms of making sure that we actually deal with the issues that matter, including on immigration or beyond, there’s a lot that is left to be desired.”

In a statement to Fox News, Abigail Jackson, a White House spokesperson, addressed Jeffries’ comments, saying, “Even a broken clock is right twice a day.”

“But while Hakeem Jeffries cannot deny the president’s tremendous success in securing our border and protecting our homeland, he had to spin up some lies in order to placate his rabid left-wing base,” Jackson added. “It’s sad that Hakeem is so beholden to the far-left liberals that he can’t even speak the full truth about the president’s tremendous accomplishments.”