Josh Earnest repeatedly dodged the question of whether or not he agreed with several Democratic lawmakers’ assertions that the United States–Mexico border is secure during Wednesday’s daily brief.
The White House press secretary refused to give a direct answer to at least six questions posed by Fox News’s Ed Henry about the state of border security.
The furthest Earnest would go was to say that there “are more resources that are dedicated to this border right now and securing it” and that the president “certainly is supportive of additional security to the border.”
Instead, he questioned why House Republicans are not supporting the Senate’s comprehensive immigration bill if they are truly concerned about border security.
“They’re saying it’s not secure, and blocking a piece of legislation that would actually make a historic investment in border security,” Earnest said. “I’m saying that is a deplorable act of playing politics with a very serious situation.”