NewsNation host Chris Cuomo stated Friday the Trump administration did a “better job” addressing cartel issues at the southern border by implementing a more “active approach” with Mexico and other nearby countries.
Cuomo appeared on “On Balance with Leland Vittert” to discuss the southern border crisis and his experience from reporting on cartels. Mexican authorities recently found ten improvised explosive devices (IEDs) following a border patrol arrest of a man carrying an AK-47 rifle near the Arizona border.
Fellow NewsNation host Leland Vittert began to ask the former CNN host his take on the situation. Cuomo responded by asking for Vittert to “help” him understand the incident better, emphasizing what the “explosives” were possibly for. (RELATED: ‘Clear And Present Danger’: Ron Johnson Rips Biden For Lax Security Amid Discovery Of IEDs At Border)
“Yes — help me understand it a little bit. So do they believe that these were cartel cats that were going to fight with each other using the explosives? Or did they think they were cartel guys trying to smuggle them into America?” Cuomo questioned.
“I don’t think we know — I think that’s what’s so scary, right? And on top of it, we know the cartels have 50 cals. They have surfaced air missiles. They have sometimes better weaponry than the Mexican military does — because they’ve stolen from the Mexican military. I guess my question though is, at what point do we decide that dealing with the Mexican government on this kind of stuff isn’t worth it?” Vittert responded.
Cuomo continued to break down the incident, questioning the Mexican state’s “legitimacy” for influencing “crimes within its borders.” The former CNN host additionally noted the former administration did a “better job” due to “threats” and other “active approaches.” (RELATED: Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Says Ukraine Aid More Important Than Border Security)
“Yea, I mean look. It’s very hard to make an argument for the legitimacy of the Mexican state, right? In terms of how it influences crime within its borders. In the previous administration they did a better job — why? Threats, carrot and stick — they had a very active approach to working with Mexico and a lot of other home countries in central and South America to stem the flow, but Mexico was the main one. Should that happen again? Absolutely,” Cuomo stated.
“I am with you here [pointing to his heart] when it comes to treating the cartels as terrorists — terrorist organizations. Here [pointing to head] I worry about it because we have all these legalities about terrorism in this country that might make it a little hard.”
Democratic Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs signed an executive order to deploy troops to the southern border Friday after the White House was silent on the growing issue. Hobbs had reached out to President Joe Biden on Dec. 8 asking the administration to reassign current Arizona National Guard members, provide additional reinforcements and reimburse over $500,000,000 that the state spent on migrant transportation, drug interdiction and law enforcement.
However, the Arizona Governor later signed an executive order after the Biden administration never responded to her reimbursement request, stating the federal agency was “refusing to do its job to secure our border and keep our communities safe.”