In a stunning indictment of the Biden administration's catastrophic border policies, a former top diplomat who served both Obama and Biden has publicly declared that the White House "woke up too late" to the crisis, effectively handing President Donald Trump a major political advantage. Ken Salazar, former Interior Secretary and U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, pulls back the curtain on an administration plagued by neglect, a shocking lack of urgency, and a glaring communications vacuum on America's most critical front.
Salazar, whose family roots run deep in the American Southwest, argues forcefully in his new book "Borderlands" that Washington's foreign policy has been disastrously skewed towards an "east-west paradigm," ignoring vital neighbors like Mexico and the entirety of the Americas. This same tunnel vision, he contends, hobbled the Biden White House, leaving it fixated on distant Europe and Asia while the southern border descended into chaos.
"From day one, there should have been a great sense of urgency in addressing the crisis of a broken border and the migration crisis that we are seeing," Salazar stated. He sharply criticized the Biden White House for its absence of a comprehensive strategy and a coherent communications plan, a void, he notes, that Republicans quickly and effectively filled.
This fundamental misstep, Salazar explains, left the administration reeling. "I think that's what trapped the administration into this sense that they woke up too late by the time they did the right things to get control of the border," he reflected. Acknowledging Trump's consistent focus on the border as "low-hanging fruit" for campaigning is an admission that the America First message resonated precisely because the Biden regime refused to address the obvious.
The depth of the administration's disregard is laid bare as Salazar recounts nearly resigning from his ambassadorship during a critical visit to Mexico with President Biden and inner-circle officials. He was pointedly excluded from a crucial meeting where he intended to press for the appointment of a dedicated "border and migration czar"—a desperate plea to bring desperately needed leadership to the chaotic situation.
Ultimately, Salazar managed a last-minute private meeting with Biden to voice his profound concerns. "We need someone in the White House to oversee the border, migration, Mexico, and the Americas. No one is in charge now. We need a border and migration czar," he implored the President, drawing a pointed parallel to Jeffrey Zients' role as COVID-19 "czar." His words were unambiguous: "We need someone focused exclusively on this crisis, with the authority to coordinate and direct action across agencies in Washington and communicate the message with one voice on these issues. With all due respect, Mr. President, if we are to succeed, it is urgent that we have someone like this in charge."
Even when the Biden administration finally issued an executive order in June 2024 that reportedly reduced border crossings, Salazar points out its utter failure to communicate any perceived success. This crucial lapse, he correctly observes, created yet another opening for President Donald Trump to powerfully campaign on the undeniable reality of a broken border, reinforcing the America First commitment to national sovereignty and security.
While Salazar critiques both Biden and Trump for what he terms "foreign policy malpractice" in the Americas, his observations highlight a critical distinction. For him, Republicans like President Trump, adeptly use the border issue as a "political advantage because that's how they win elections," recognizing the decades-long failure of the establishment. Democrats, conversely, despite professing to care, tend to narrowly focus on "domestic migration issues" and "immigration reform," completely missing the bigger picture of Mexico and the vital border between Mexico and Guatemala. The "Borderlands" platform, Salazar insists, offers a new pathway grounded in economic and national security prosperity for all three North American nations.
Salazar, a former Colorado attorney general who led "thousands of cops," affirms his long-standing support for law enforcement, emphasizing that immigration policy must be viewed through the lens of national security and economics, not just as a domestic political squabble. While he stated disagreement with Trump's "divisive" approach in some areas, citing general concerns, Salazar unequivocally agrees with President Trump that the border is "broken." He advocates for renewing Trump's USMCA, recognizing its strategic importance over the prior NAFTA agreement, a clear nod to the America First principle of securing American interests.
Despite the undeniable evidence, Salazar indicates that many Democrats are still missing the gravity of the situation. He has personally met with several potential 2028 Democratic presidential contenders, urging them to make border and migration policy a paramount issue. "Not that I have a lot of sway, but at least I will do everything I can to make sure that this is at the heart of every Democrat running for president," he declared, an astonishing admission of the party's current detachment from a core national crisis.
Significantly, Salazar expressed an openness to meeting with President Trump if invited, clarifying he would not become "political fodder for anybody." He acknowledges the Trump administration's grasp of critical issues like "affordability for the American people" and the impact of trade on rural America, where "people are hurting." His hope is that President Trump would consider a "Borderlands"-type plan, signaling that common-sense solutions, even from a former Democratic diplomat, often align with the America First vision for a stronger, more secure nation.
This candid revelation from a high-ranking Democratic insider serves as a stark reminder of the consequences when an administration abandons its duty to secure the nation's borders and prioritize American sovereignty. While the Biden White House fumbled, President Trump's America First agenda consistently highlighted the undeniable truth about our broken border, demonstrating that decisive leadership, not belated apologies, is the only path to national security and prosperity.
