Trump claims credit for getting Kamala Harris to ‘finally’ visit US-Mexico border

“It is great that we got Kamala Harris to finally go,” Donald Trump said

Former US President Donald Trump addresses the NCGOP state convention on June 5, 2021 in Greenville, North Carolina. Mr Trump has sought to claim credit for Vice President Kamala Harris’s plans to visit the US-Mexico border. (Getty Images)

Former President Donald Trump has sought to take credit for Vice President Kamala Harris “finally” announcing a visit the US-Mexico border.

On Wednesday, the Biden administration said that Ms Harris would be visiting the southern border in El Paso, Texas, on Friday, with the vice president expected to be joined by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

With the trip set to take place just days before Mr Trump pays his own visit to the Texas border next week, joined by Republican Gov Greg Abbott, the former president tried to claim credit for Ms Harris’ plans.

“After months of ignoring the crisis at the Southern Border, it is great that we got Kamala Harris to finally go and see the tremendous destruction and death that they’ve created – direct result of Biden ending my very tough but fair Border policies,” Mr Trump said in a statement shared with several media outlets.

“Harris and Biden were given the strongest Border in American history," he claimed. "And now, it is by far the worst in American history.”

“If Governor Abbott and I weren't going there next week, she would have never gone!” Mr Trump said.

In addition to being joined by Mr Abbott during his border visit, Mr Trump is also expected to see a number of Republican representatives tag along on his trip next Wednesday.

Around a dozen members of the Republican Study Committee, the biggest caucus of the House GOP, are expected to join Mr Trump at the border next week.

Confirming the plans in a statement to Politico, Rep Jim Banks, chair of the RSC, said the caucus is committed to “carrying on the Trump legacy on immigration”.

“President Trump spent four years fixing the border. But the Biden administration broke it again, and we are now experiencing the worst border crisis in our history,” Mr Banks said, referring to the recent influx in arrivals of migrants and asylum seekers at the US border.

“That’s why the RSC has made carrying on the Trump legacy on immigration our top priority this Congress and why we are heading to the border with President Trump to explain how we can end this national embarrassment,” the Indiana Republican said.

A spokesperson for the RSC confirmed the plans to The Independent but said they could not provide any further details.

Ms Harris has not yet offered any response to Mr Trump’s claims of being responsible for her border wall trip.

The border visit comes on the heels of her trip to Guatemala and Mexico, where she met with leaders to discuss the situation at the border with a focus on addressing the root causes of migration to the US.