Trump pushes pressure republicans to block Ukraine aid deal

• A bipartisan $118 billion package of immigration restrictions, tied to a foreign aid package.
• The deal provides $20 billion in new border funding and would be a major win for immigration hawks.
• The critical test for the bill is its first procedural vote, expected on Wednesday.

Donald Trump, despite being a private citizen since leaving office in 2021, is already exerting extraordinary influence as he seeks to bend US foreign policy to his ambitions of a return to the White House, even though the presidential election is a full nine months away. He is running for reelection and urging his party to reject a bill that ties the toughest border security measures in a generation to $60 billion in Ukraine aid.

On social media, Trump posted, “Don’t be STUPID!!! We need a separate Border and Immigration Bill. It should not be tied to foreign aid in any way, shape, or form!” He looks almost certain to be facing President Joe Biden again in November.

Biden and Trump offer starkly divergent approaches to Ukraine, with the Democrat clear that helping the pro-Western ally repel Russia is vital to ensure a safer world while his predecessor pushes an isolationist, “America First” policy.

At home, Biden has pressed for a humane immigration policy, but Republicans are pointing to statistics showing migrant apprehensions reaching a record high of 302,000 in December, a surge that Trump has been leveraging as a major issue in the campaign.

The demand to tie military aid for Ukraine to immigration reform originated from Republicans, with Trump eager to equate the crisis at the border with chaos abroad, which he repeatedly claims he would have averted.

On Sunday, senators unveiled a bipartisan $118 billion package of immigration restrictions that Biden has committed to signing into law. This package is tied to a foreign aid package that includes $60 billion for Ukraine and $14 billion for Israel.

The deal provides $20 billion in new border funding and would represent a major win for immigration hawks, as it contains concessions that Democrats would typically have opposed.

On Monday, when asked about the bill’s prospects, a frustrated Biden exclaimed, “We don’t have enough agents. We don’t have enough folks. We don’t have enough judges. You don’t have enough folks here. We need help. Why won’t they give me the help?”

However, Trump maintains a firm grip on Republicans leading the House of Representatives and has repeatedly called for the party to kill the legislation, denying Biden and his Democrats a political victory ahead of November’s election.

On his Truth Social website, Trump declared on Monday, “This Bill is a great gift to the Democrats and a Death Wish for The Republican Party.”

Some House Republicans in districts won by Biden have voiced concerns about walking away from the deal, especially considering the party’s plans to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas this week over the border crisis.

However, Trump’s overwhelming victories in the early nominating contests in the Republican presidential primary have solidified support around his candidacy, with more than 150 members of Congress now endorsing him.

The critical test for the bill will be its first procedural vote, expected on Wednesday, which will require support from 60 senators in a 100-member chamber that is almost evenly divided between the two parties.

Even if it overcomes that hurdle, House Speaker Mike Johnson, who regularly converses with Trump, stated that the deal would be “dead on arrival” if it reaches the Republican-controlled lower chamber.

Last week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned that Ukraine’s gains over two years of fighting were all in doubt without US approval of the $60 billion.

While Trump has focused his criticism on the domestic aspects of the bill, critics perceive his opposition as another example of the controversial billionaire prioritizing his electoral ambitions above national security concerns regarding Ukraine.

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