This week, the Republicans in the Senate killed a border bill that members of their party helped develop. Dan Crenshaw, a House Republican, supported the border bill and appeared on Anderson Cooper's CNN show on Wednesday night.
The real reason the bill was killed was because Donald Trump wanted it to be. Cooper attempted to discuss this reality with Crenshaw, but the congressman was not eager to take any kind of shots at the former President. In fact, he accused the host of baiting him.
Cooper asked, "[Trump] has put his thumb on scale on this. I understand activist groups make money off this. He is making money off this. He is running an election. This is perhaps a winning issue for him. He does not want improvement despite all the talk of fentanyl, despite all the talk of national security issues. he doesn't want a deal —"
The guest demurred, asking for specific evidence. Cooper countered, "Lots of people in the House have said that, there's Republicans in the House who supported HR.2 who are now saying, 'We don't need any border deal at all, and the only reason is because —
"They are wrong. I disagree with them. I disagree with them in conversations today on the floor. I said, 'Look if we didn't need new Border laws, why did we pass HR.2."
After Cooper pressed again, Crenshaw shot back, "I know you want me to get into a fight with Trump... I'm not going to do it... We need a Border deal."