The duel has begun: Joe Biden and Donald Trump, probable rivals in the November presidential election, organized two competing visits to the United States border with Mexico on Thursday February 29 to discuss immigration, a hot topic in the campaign.
The 81-year-old Democratic president arrived early in the afternoon in Brownsville, Texas, where he met with Border Patrol agents.
At the same time, his rival Donald Trump, 77, was in the Texan town of Eagle Pass, 500 km away.
Accompanied by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, the Republican candidate attended a presentation by state officials under a large white tent, before going to examine the border, faced with record arrivals of migrants.
“Joe Biden is responsible for this invasion,” accused Donald Trump.
During a speech, the former leader painted an extremely dark picture of Americans "kidnapped", "raped", "murdered" by migrants, comparing the current situation to a "war".
The Republican continues to accuse his successor of having transformed the southern border of the United States into a sieve.
He insists that the Democratic leader's asylum policy has caused an unprecedented migration crisis.
"Politics"
On this burning issue, the two candidates are passing the buck.
Joe Biden does not deny that the United States is facing record arrivals of migrants.
Some 302,000 arrests took place in December, according to official statistics.
Joe Biden, in Texas, February 29, 2024 © Jim WATSON / AFP
But the Democratic president retorts that it is the Republicans, led by Donald Trump, who refuse to cooperate to find a solution.
Because an immigration law, negotiated for months by members of both parties, was finally rejected by Republicans in Congress, at the request of the former president.
“It is high time to act,” pleaded Joe Biden during a speech, before throwing a rare outstretched hand to his opponent.
“Here’s what I would say to Trump,” the president said.
“Rather than telling lawmakers to block this law, join me in telling Congress to pass this bipartisan bill.”
And added: “We can do it together.”
Barbed wire along the Rio Grande on February 3, 2024 in Eagle Pass, Texas © SERGIO FLORES / AFP/Archives
The White House assures that the Republican Party is deliberately sabotaging any attempt at compromise on the issue, and that Donald Trump does not intend to give a political victory to Joe Biden in the middle of an election year.
Election Tuesday
This Texan duel made the headlines of the American continuous news channels, which simultaneously rebroadcast the visits of the two probable contenders for the November presidential election for several hours.
Texas, the second most populous state in the country, holds its November presidential primaries on Tuesday during the big election day of “Super Tuesday”.
Joe Biden and Donald Trump are by far the favorites of their respective parties.
Former US President Donald Trump on February 24, 2024 in National Harbor, Maryland © MANDEL NGAN / AFP/Archives
Donald Trump, who built his popularity during his first victorious campaign by promising to build a wall between the United States and Mexico, assures that the expulsion of migrants would be one of his priorities if he were re-elected .
The former president recently stepped up his attacks against undocumented immigrants, accusing them of "poisoning the blood" of the United States - comments that shocked his opponents.
With AFP
The France 24 summary of the week
invites you to look back at the news that marked the week
I subscribe
Take international news everywhere with you!
Download the France 24 application