President Donald Trump made "multiple offers" on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, but Democrats refused to either put a plan on the table or work with him to get anything done, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders insisted Monday.
"They wanted to use DACA recipients as political pawns," Sanders said in a Fox News "Fox & Friends" interview.
"I think what happened here is incredibly sad. Hopefully Democrats will stop playing political games and show up to do what they were elected to do and improve things for people in this country and improve the process that we're going through."
Trump, she added, wanted to make a deal and made two "incredibly generous" offers that went far and above what previous administrations had done on DACA, and she thinks that's because it's edging closer to the 2020 election.
"They want to do everything they can, even hurting people across the country, even if it takes a hit at the president," she said.
Trump on Sunday took aim through Twitter at "ridiculous liberal (Democrat) laws," called for the Senate to go "nuclear" to "pass tough laws now," and vowed "no more DACA deal."
His attacks continued on Monday, when he when he slammed Mexico, the Democrats, and weak border laws.
Sanders said she hopes Senate Republicans follow Trump's lead and use the nuclear option so 60 votes don't have to be sought for an immigration bill.
"We have an influx of drugs and gang members coming across from Mexico. . . Congress has to step up and do more, making sure we do everything we can to protect the people of this country," she said.
"That is what the president is committed to doing."
Sanders also discussed China's move to raise taxes on U.S. pork, fruit, and more in response to Trump's steel sanctions, but steered away from agreeing that a new trade war is beginning.
"We're in the middle of what President Trump said he would do and has been talking about for decades," she said.
"He is tired of American workers being taken advantage of. He is is tired of our intellectual property being taken. This president is tough and fight for the American worker, just like he will fight to protect our borders."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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