President Biden did not mince words Tuesday in an interview with ABC News set to air in full Wednesday on Good Morning America. "Do you have to say quite clearly, 'Don't come'?" George Stephanopoulos asked the POTUS as they discussed a surge in migrants and unaccompanied minors at the US border. "Yes, I can say quite clearly: Don't come over," Biden responded. "Don't leave your town or city or community." He also said, despite Republican criticism that his rescinding of former President Trump's harsh immigration policies is encouraging migrants to try to cross the border, "The idea that Joe Biden said, 'Come'—because I heard the other day that they're coming because they know I'm a nice guy—here's the deal, they're not." He also said the US is "sending back people" who make the attempt.
Trump himself weighed in, telling Fox News that his administration had made significant progress on border security, but "Today, they are coming in. ... They are coming in from foreign countries. I see they are coming in from Yemen. They are coming in from the Middle East. They are coming in from everywhere. They are dropping them off and they are pouring into our country. It is a disgrace. They are going to destroy our country if we don't do something about it." Biden claimed in the interview that this surge is nothing new: "There was a surge in the last two years. In '19 and '20, there was a surge, as well." But the Pew Research Center indicates levels like this have not been seen since 2019, after dropping in April 2020. The Hill reports attempted border crossings are expected to hit their highest level in two decades. Biden also said during the interview that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo should resign if the allegations against him are confirmed. (More President Biden stories.)