Bill Clinton’s recent trip to Georgia became an unexpected comedy show, or maybe more precisely a political error that would make even the most experienced spin doctor shudder. Clinton unintentionally drew the attention of former President Donald Trump, thereby presenting his case for him, and unintentionally became a walking soundbite for the Republican campaign while trying to mobilize support for Vice President Kamala Harris.
Clinton sought to blame Trump for the sad death of nursing student Laken Riley during his campaign appearance in Fort Valley, Georgia, contending that Riley may still be alive had Trump not rejected an immigration bill earlier this year. Even by liberal criteria, the reasoning appeared dubious, particularly given the claimed offender, an illegal immigrant, had entered the nation well before the Senate’s border plan was even a subject of debate. Ever the opportunist, Trump’s campaign swiftly cut Clinton’s remarks and posted them on social media, essentially weaponizing his words against her in a way only fit for a “campaigning for dumb-dumbs.”
Clinton’s illogical thinking simply added to the situational irony. Rather than rallying for Harris, he ended up advocating—something conservatives have been screaming from the rooftops—better screening of the immigration system. Clinton’s comment that if only everyone had been “properly vetted,” tragedy could have been avoided seems like a lead balloon in ironies. Trump’s staff lost no time stressing how even Clinton acknowledged the anarchy that present immigration laws had produced.
Coming from someone whose party seems happy to ignore borders already looking like a revolving door, the remarks of the former president were especially rich Clinton’s strange claims that immigrants are needed by Democrats to offset low American birth rates created their own muddle. The right, who have been voicing alarms about unbridled immigration and its effects for years, applauded the theory that Americans are “anti-chaos”. Here there is a little of grim humor: the same party that denies the link between permissive immigration laws and terrible crimes is now seeing its own champion faltering with facts.
Clinton’s remarks also featured surrounding reminders of Democrats failing to embrace robust border security measures, which would have possibly saved lives similar to Riley’s. The irony was not missed on viewers when a National Republican Congressional Committee spokeswoman intervened and noted that the Democrats’ rejection of sensible border security proposals had turned their own talking points into weapon for Republicans.
Clinton’s misguided remarks not only brought attention to important Democratic Party problems but also reminded everyone of how the political elite may enter quicksand with the smallest error. Though that may just be wishful thinking, it is clear that a little less Clinton and a lot more consistent policy would be what Trump leads in Georgia by a razor-thin margin and Democrats desperately need.
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