President Joe Biden contradicted his own administration on border funding for the second day in a row during a Friday press conference.
Reporters pressed Biden to “be specific about what [he] did to try and re-appropriate those border funds” following the Friday release of the latest jobs report.
“You mean the wall thing? Is that what you’re talking about?” Biden asked following a long pause.
REPORTER: “Can you be specific about what you did to try to reappropriate those border funds? Especially when Democrats controlled both chambers of Congress.”
BIDEN: “(…) Oh, the wall thing? – I was told I have no choice.” pic.twitter.com/wB4812QCtf
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) October 6, 2023
The reporter confirmed that the question was about the border wall, which the Biden administration cleared a path to construct in Texas on federally protected land Wednesday. (RELATED: CNN’s John Berman Calls Out Biden For Breaking Promise On Border Wall)
“Yeah, they passed — I was told that I had no choice. That I, you know. Congress passes legislation through to build something — whether it’s an aircraft carrier, wall or provide for a tax cut. I can’t say I don’t like it. I’m not gonna do it. If this had been vetoed. If it’s the wall,” Biden said.
The questioner was interrupted by the president when she tried to clarify that “yesterday [Biden] tried to reappropriate the funds [for the wall].”
“Yeah, we tried to ask Congress to try to consider changing the wall re-appropriations,” Biden said. “Don’t — Use it for another purpose. Get me more border agents. Get me more, uh, technical capabilities to detect fentanyl. Like, that’s what I want.”
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas attempted to walk back his initial statement regarding “immediate need” for the border wall’s construction. Biden also backpedaled Thursday, saying that he does not think a border wall is effective.