Democrats’ focus on ‘s–hole’ comment insults Border Patrol agents, DHS chief says

By Stephen Dinan - The Washington Times - Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said Wednesday that the continued focus on President Trump’s harsh comments at a meeting last week are doing a disservice to her department’s law enforcement personnel.

Ms. Nielsen also fired back at a Democratic senator who said she lied under oath by having a different recollection about last week’s controversial comments, saying they’re actually trying to make her lie.

“I am thoroughly disappointed that attention continues to be given to a meeting I attended a week ago when we have serious and urgent border and immigration issues to address. That is unfair to our communities, our frontline officers and agents, DACA recipients, and the constituents of those who are spending precious time impugning my character,” the secretary said.

On Tuesday Ms. Nielsen testified to the Senate Judiciary Committee that many of the people in the meeting used rough language, including the president, but she didn’t specifically recall him using the word Sen. Richard J. Durbin has claimed.

Sen. Cory Booker, a New Jersey Democrat eyeing a presidential run against Mr. Trump, declared himself enraged at her answer, and later accused her of lying to Congress.

“She pretended like she didn’t remember. She couldn’t remember what the president of the United States, the commander-in-chief, her boss, was saying,” Mr. Booker said on CBS News.

Ms. Nielsen was on Capitol Hill Wednesday to try to help negotiations on a deal to legalize illegal immigrant “Dreamers” and improve immigration enforcement.

While others have labeled it a “DACA fix,” referring to the amnesty for illegal immigrants, Ms. Nielsen called it a “border security deal,” suggesting her focus was on the security side.

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