Republican Claims Biden Admin Banned Him From Border Visit

A Texas Republican has expressed disappointment after claiming that the Biden administration did not allow him to participate in the president's recent border trip.

President Joe Biden made the first trip of his presidency to the U.S.-Mexico border on Sunday in El Paso, Texas, after years of GOP criticism that his administration was not doing enough to address border crossings.

Joining him for the trip were a handful of Texas Democrats from the House of Representatives, as well as the Democratic mayor of El Paso, Oscar Leeser. Biden also met with Republican Governor Greg Abbott, who gave him a letter criticizing his approach to border security.

Not present for the visit was Representative Tony Gonzales, a GOP lawmaker who was keen to take part in the trip. Elected in 2020, Gonzales represents Texas' 23rd Congressional District, which encompasses nearly half of the southern U.S. border with Mexico, stretching from the outskirts of El Paso to the outskirts of San Antonio.

"I represent nearly 50 percent of the southern border," Gonzales wrote in a tweet from Tuesday. "This past weekend the White House told me I was not able to participate in Biden's border visit. This is unacceptable. National security should not be about politics, it should be about keeping Americans safe."

Gonzales expressed the same discontent on the day of Biden's visit during an appearance on CBS' Face the Nation.

Speaking with host Margaret Brennan, the lawmaker said that he suggested such a visit to Biden in May when the president visited Uvalde, Texas, in the wake of the Robb Elementary mass shooting. When asked if he had any idea why the White House would not allow him to attend, Gonzales was stumped.

"I don't know. That's the frustrating part," he said. "You know, on one end, you're hearing them say—you know, that they want to work with Republicans. I'm not this crazy, extremist Republican. I'm jumping up and down, pushing against my party when I think it's right, looking for ways to solve problems."

Throughout his time in Congress, Gonzales has been known as a more moderate Republican, frequently breaking with his party on certain votes. In 2021, he voted in favor of the unsuccessful proposal to create a commission to investigate the January 6, 2021, Capitol riots.

Last summer, he was among the Republicans who voted in favor of the Respect for Marriage Act. Most recently, he was the only House Republican to vote against the new rules package, expressing concern that it would lead to defense spending cuts.

Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment.