Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego, running for Senate in border state Arizona, told Democratic donors on Tuesday that border issues are "not my expertise," in contrast to his campaign trail claim to be at the "forefront" of the issue.
In a video obtained by the Washington Free Beacon, Gallego demurred in response to a donor’s question about his position on immigration and border issues. "I’ve largely focused on national security issues. That’s my background," said Gallego, who noted he has a degree in foreign policy from Harvard University and serves on the House Armed Services Committee.
Gallego said if elected in November, he "probably won’t be on the committee of jurisdiction," a reference to the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, according to the video, first reported by the Washington Examiner.
Gallego’s lack of interest in a major issue for Arizona voters could hurt his odds in November, when the congressman will face off against former news anchor Kari Lake. According to a CBS News poll in May, 61 percent of Arizona voters said border security was a major factor in their vote for president. And 52 percent of those polled said recent immigrants have made life "worse" in the state, while just 13 percent said life has been made "better."
Gallego’s efforts to portray himself as a border hawk could fail to convince voters. He recently launched a seven-figure television ad campaign that features an endorsement from David Hathaway, a border county sheriff. Hathaway has compared federal border agents to the Gestapo, the Nazi secret police, and the Soviet Union’s KGB. Hathaway has also called for "porous" borders, and referred to border agents as "goons," the Free Beacon reported.
Gallego, who appeared on the conference call with hundreds of Democratic donors and several non-incumbent Senate candidates, said he "do[es] immigration stuff once in a while."
He endorsed the Gang of Eight bill, which provides a pathway for citizenship for illegal aliens. He said they should have an opportunity to gain legal status by paying a fine, going through a background check, and "getting in line behind people that have legally gone through the process here."
"Again, not my expertise, though."
That’s at odds with Gallego’s recent pitch to Arizona voters that he is tough on border security, part of his effort to shrug off his progressive past. Gallego, who once called himself a "true progressive voice in Congress," quit the Congressional Progressive Caucus earlier this year and has staked out mainstream Democratic positions on immigration, Israel, and crime.
His about-face on immigration was on full display in May, when Gallego voted in favor of a bill to make it easier to deport illegal aliens who assault police officers. He voted against a similar bill last year.
As a progressive, Gallego repeatedly assailed the Trump administration's border and immigration policies. He criticized Donald Trump’s plan for a border wall as "stupid" and "useless," and condemned a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement initiative to deport Central Americans who had outstanding deportation orders against them.
The Gallego campaign did not respond to a request for comment.