Rep. Cline to Newsmax: Biden ‘Gaslighting’ on Border Budget Claims

President Joe Biden is “gaslighting” Americans with his claims that House Republicans’ proposals would cut funding for border security, Rep. Ben Cline, R-Va., said on Newsmax Wednesday.

“It is a distraction and gaslighting is a great word for it,” he said on Newsmax’s “Wake Up America.” “Outright falsehood is another. You know when he’s putting forward that Republicans are the ones who somehow want a less-secure border, he’s avoiding his responsibility for failure to secure the border.”

Biden tweeted Sunday that “MAGA House Republican proposals would slash funding for border security — a move that could allow nearly 900 pounds of fentanyl into our country. We need more resources to secure the border. Not less.”

Meanwhile, there is still an impasse between Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy concerning talks on whether to raise the nation’s debt ceiling.

McCarthy, R-Calif., Tuesday outlined his first proposals for spending reforms through a letter to Biden while putting pressure on him to negotiate calls to raise the nation’s debt limit, but said later he is pessimistic because the president “refuses to meet with anybody” on the issues.

“Kevin McCarthy has said his door is open,” said Cline. “He wants the president to come to the table, the Senate minority leader has said that it’s Kevin’s taking the lead on this issue, so we’re all hopeful that the president engages. It’s irresponsible to stomp your feet and say, ‘I’m not going to come to the table at all.’ You have to pass a clean debt ceiling.

“We have to have negotiations. That’s the way the system works.

Meanwhile, Virginia GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who some speculate will seek the presidential nomination next year, has been praising potential competitors, and while Cline said the Republican governor is doing a “great job,” former President Donald Trump is “the one who is most likely to be the nominee.”

“But there are others out there who are expressing interest,” said Cline. “My own governor Glenn Youngkin is doing a great job in Virginia. He is leading the way on parental rights on education, accountability in the bureaucracy, and his sunny optimism is a great balm for the vitriol that we see in Richmond and in Washington right now.”

Cline also discussed the House Judiciary Committee’s push for documents and testimony from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, which continues after news broke Tuesday that the grand jury hearing evidence against Trump will not vote on an indictment until at least next week.

“I think most Americans see this for what it is,” he said. “It’s a political action by a politically motivated DA. Bragg likes to talk about reducing felonies to misdemeanors all the time. But here he is using novel political theories to increase misdemeanors to felonies to try and come after a former president.”

The Judiciary Committee is also demanding documents from others, including the FBI, said Cline, adding that there will be a hearing in his subcommittee Wednesday on that subject.

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