(NewsNation) — Former President Donald Trump visited the U.S. southern border Thursday as part of a push by his campaign to intensify political pressure and steal attention from Vice President Kamala Harris and the Democratic National Convention.
Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance, were in Arizona and Georgia to highlight the border and criticize Harris and the Biden administration’s immigration policies.
Trump and Vance argue Harris has failed at handling the border, claiming her actions have kept the border open, leading to the flow of fentanyl into the country.
Southern border encounters down in July
Despite their claims, the latest U.S. Customs and Border Protection data shows 104,131 encounters along the southern border in July, a 20% decrease from June. It marks the fifth consecutive monthly decline and the lowest monthly total since February 2021.
So far this fiscal year, there have been 1.92 million border encounters, making it unlikely to surpass last year’s record.
Dems accuse Trump of killing border bill
Meanwhile, Democrats including Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly accuse Trump of killing the bipartisan border bill in Congress earlier this year, while other Democrats point out that several Arizona border town mayors have endorsed Harris.