A former NATO chief urged President Joe Biden and fellow Democrats to "accommodate Republican views" on the southern border crisis to help lessen former President Donald Trump's chances of winning in November and secure aid for U.S. allies.
In an interview with Politico on Tuesday, the day after Trump dominated the Iowa caucuses, former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Democrats should strike a deal with Republicans over funding for the southern border in an effort to secure new aid for Ukraine in its war against Russia, as well as assistance for other U.S. allies, while also squelching a frequent GOP talking point.
"If I were asked by Democrats what to do, my advice would be to accommodate Republican views on the border issue and create a package with four elements: support for Ukraine, support for Israel, support for Taiwan and solve the border issue," Rasmussen said in the interview, which published Wednesday morning. "President Biden has an interest in solving that issue before the election campaign starts in earnest."
The border issue has become a key concern of 2024 voters, according to a CBS News poll released on Sunday that showed nearly half of U.S. voters surveyed agreed with Trump's controversial comment that illegal immigrants are "poisoning the blood" of the country despite Biden and other political leaders arguing the remark "parroted Hitler."
Newsweek reached out via email on Wednesday night to representatives for Rasmussen, Biden and Trump for comment.
Rasmussen, who also served as Denmark's prime minister from 2001 to 2009, said Democrats should take note of how immigration changed the landscape of European politics, fueling the campaigns of hard-right politicians in some countries.
"If you do not address the immigration issue and the border issue effectively, then you will fuel extremists," the NATO chief said.
Biden, who is aiming to quell concerns about his stance on immigration as he campaigns for reelection, has been facing mounting bipartisan criticism over his handling of the U.S.-Mexico border strife, as the country is faced with an uptick in migrant crossings—more than 2.4 million encounters at the southern border in 2023 compared to roughly 1.7 million in 2021, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
While conservatives have blamed Biden administration policies for the spike, arguing that they incentivize illegal immigration, experts have noted that other factors, such as political and financial instability in some Central American countries, drive migration to America. The president faced a fresh round of criticism over the weekend when he refused to call the situation a "crisis."
Biden and congressional Democrats have been trying for months to secure billions of dollars in aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, but Republicans, who control the House of Representatives, have refused to agree to legislation unless it also includes funding for enhanced border security and stricter immigration laws.
Rasmussen said that Democrats should view the topic of border security as political leverage to come to an agreement with their colleagues across the aisle. He called on any Democrats attempting to block border security deals to "come to their senses."
"If I were in the leadership of the Democratic campaign, I would not hesitate to close this issue—to accommodate Republicans to make it a non-issue in the coming election campaign," he said.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Maura Zurick is the Newsweek Weekend Night Editor based in Cleveland, Ohio. Her focus is reporting on U.S. national news ... Read more
