Horror show at the US border

Watching President Donald Trump blame Democrats for his administration’s inhumane practice of snatching immigrant children from their parents at the border evokes nothing so much as an abusive husband blaming his wife for the beatings he delivers: why do you make me do this? I hate doing this! If you’d only be reasonable and listen, things wouldn’t have to be this way.

As anyone paying even minimal attention to politics knows, this immoral policy is not the fault of the Democrats. It’s not really Republicans’ fault, either — at least not yet. Both the Obama and George W Bush administrations began efforts to curtail the flow of people across the southern border but neither went so far as to pursue a “zerotolerance” approach that tore apart families en masse.

Nor has the US Congress passed any bills requiring the practice since then. This bit of nastiness belongs entirely to Trump — he has made a choice to torment undocumented families and his attempt to pass the buck is dishonest and gutless. In other words, it’s what we’ve come to expect when Trump finds himself in an uncomfortable spot.

But the horror show at the border has gotten awkward for Trump. When the normally fawning Rev Franklin Graham and other conservative religious leaders start publicly questioning this president’s inerrancy, you know Trump has distinguished himself in his iniquity. Even the first lady felt moved to distance herself from her husband’s cruelty. Things have become so radioactive that Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen found it easiest to fall back on incoherence, alternating between blaming Congress for the situation and denying that any such situation existed.

For the president, this vile border mess has become a test to see how hard he can squeeze legislators. The White House has made clear that it regards immigrant children as useful levers to force Congress to pass legislation. With the midterms looming, Republican House members are desperate to look like they are making progress on the immigration issue. New York, June 19