Democrats just shrug about Biden’s border crisis but the numbers don’t lie
The presidential campaign of Joe Biden, one of the most popular members of the Democratic Party, has been marked by a series of policy initiatives, with a heavy emphasis on immigration. Those initiatives have included proposals for immigration reform that would have the potential to help reduce the flow of migrants across the U.S.-Mexican border. However, on Thursday, Biden’s immigration reform plan was scuttled after a series of revelations about the details of his proposal.
On Tuesday, Politico’s report, first published on Wednesday, revealed that Biden’s plan offered legal status to children if they had been brought to the U.S. by their undocumented adult parents. The report made the point that the plan’s supporters believed the plan would be less punitive than harsh immigration enforcement policies, and that it would allow people to stay in the country in exchange for legal work.
That same day, Biden’s staff issued a statement saying that his plan was “vague” and “suspect.” And, on Thursday, Biden addressed the situation, with his campaign’s statement saying “I apologize for the damage these erroneous comments have done.”
“Like almost every other candidate in the field, we have a more detailed immigration plan,” Biden said in the statement. “However, we have a plan that makes good on the promise that everyone living in our country should have a fair shot and not be held back by the actions of a few bad actors.”
A new poll from Public Policy Polling (TPP) finds that 53 percent of Americans have a favorable view of Biden; a new poll from the Pew Research Center finds that 56 percent of Americans have a unfavorable view of Biden. And, the Hill reports that the number of Americans who view Biden favorably has decreased by 5 points over the course of Biden’s campaign; and, he has fallen to 40 percent favorable rating among Democrats. The Hill notes that ”Biden has been the target of criticism from both sides of the aisle in recent weeks, with some commentators calling for his head on a platter.”
A poll taken of 600 likely Democratic voters last week found that only 35 percent have a favorable view of Biden;