Mirror, mirror: White House flings Republican attacks back at GOP
Haisten Willis
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The White House has been lashing out at Republicans lately on issues like immigration, crime, transportation, and the economy — the very issues on which the Biden administration has been attacked itself.
As President Joe Biden‘s team prepares for a debt ceiling fight in the weeks ahead, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has listed out what’s at stake in the battle, including many Republican priorities.
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“Their latest idea is that rather than paying its bills, the United States should make payments to wealthy bondholders, including foreign investors, and stop payments for border security, food safety, nursing homes, school lunches, the [Federal Aviation Administation], drug enforcement, and other programs Americans rely on every single day,” Jean-Pierre said Jan. 17.
Illegal immigration and the related issue of drug enforcement have been among the most consistent GOP attacks against Biden, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg came under fire last week over flight delays caused by FAA software issues.
Jean-Pierre furthered the talking point later in the week, saying Republicans threatened safe communities and that Biden had done more for border security than any other president.
Polling taken just before the midterm elections found that immigration and violent crime were important priorities for three-fourths of Republican voters but less than half of Democrats. The White House now may be angling to take the sting out of Republican attacks on those issues.
Biden himself got in on the action last Friday during a speech before a gathering of mayors.
“I’ll continue to call on Congress to act to pass comprehensive immigration reform to fix the system,” he said. “The first bill I introduced was a comprehensive reform legislation on immigration. But because of some in the Congress, they refused to consider it. They found it a better issue to campaign on than an issue to solve.”
The president later said Republicans threatened public safety by voting against the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan.
But GOP strategist David Carney said the arguments are all a desperate attempt to change the subject away from the classified documents saga.
“It shows a real lack of connection with the country and the real bubble they live in if they think this is a clever way to change the conversation,” said Carney, a New Hampshire-based strategist. “They are squandering their best asset, which is the podium.”
Under fire over the ongoing classified documents saga, the Biden administration has taken a more aggressive stance of late, going after the GOP on a host of issues.
The White House has accused House Republicans of waging “political stunts” in response to the Justice Department investigation into Biden’s possible mishandling of classified information, striking a newly combative tone as the political blowback gathers steam.
Former White House press secretary Jen Psaki took notice, saying the strategy “was reflection of their recognition they need to be on more aggressive footing after last week” and added that “the best defense is a strong offense.”
The administration furthered the strategy on Monday, with Jean-Pierre and Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm saying Republicans are threatening oil production and could raise gas prices. Specifically, congressional Republicans aim to limit the ability of future presidents to tap the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Biden has drawn more than 200 million barrels from the SPR since November 2021.
But with more and more classified documents being found and reported every week, it may prove difficult for the Biden administration to change the subject.
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“There are things you could credibly blame the Republicans for,” Carney said. “But oil exploration, immigration, no one believes that. It’s just nonsense.”