After a brief respite from attacking the migrant caravan traveling to the U.S. border, President Donald Trump slammed it again Friday, calling it a “con” because the travelers were waving flags from their own countries.
Trump relentlessly lashed out at the caravan during his flurry of campaign appearances stumping for Republican candidates ahead of the midterm elections. He also dispatched 5,200 U.S. troops to the border.
But then he was uncharacteristically mum on the issue after the GOP lost control of the U.S. House to the Democrats. Voter exit polls revealed that Americans were more concerned about health care than immigration, suggesting that Trump may have overplayed his caravan hand.
But he was back at it Friday on Twitter. Trump tweeted that it was “ironic” that people seeking asylum in the U.S. were waving the flags of their countries. He said it was proof that their search for safety in America was “all a BIG CON.”
Several responses pointed out that it is possible to love one’s country yet be fearful enough to leave during dangerous times — or to have very mixed feelings about a nation and its government.
Trump earlier tweeted congratulations to Georgia’s Gov.-elect Brian Kemp and Florida’s apparent Gov.-elect Ron DeSantis. Both Republicans had tight races in their states.
Trump was complimentary to Georgia’s Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams. He said she “fought brilliantly and hard” and will have a “terrific political future.”
Trump also took another opportunity to slam the media for focusing on the Republicans’ loss of the House to a new Democratic majority. He insisted the midterm results were “better than other sitting presidents.” In fact, losing that number of House seats was the worst showing for the GOP since the first election after Richard Nixon resigned — and the party’s seventh-worst performance in the last century, The Washington Post pointed out.