House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy says the president should not follow through on his campaign promises because it's hurtful to Republicans.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy complained Thursday about President Joe Biden's actions on his first day to help people, arguing that they do not aid the cause of unity.
"President Joe Biden says let's give 11 million illegal immigrants citizenship while we have 10.7 million Americans out of work. Shouldn't we prioritize those Americans out of work first?" McCarthy asked rhetorically in an appearance on Fox News.
McCarthy's comment was a mischaracterization of Biden's executive orders halting the harsh and racist anti-immigrant policies of Donald Trump's, including his travel ban on Muslims and indiscriminate deportation and arrest of migrant families.
McCarthy also characterized Biden's other orders — which included a mask mandate, rejoining the Paris climate agreement, and eliminating a last-minute Trump order to prohibit schools from teaching the history of slavery — as "partisan" and "dividing."
McCarthy insisted that Biden "won't be able to unite this nation" if he pursues the agenda he promised during his campaign.
From the Jan. 21 edition of Fox News' "America's Newsroom":
BILL HEMMER, Fox News: Here's the question: What should he do when it comes to unity? What is his responsibility?
KEVIN McCARTHY: Well, the first thing I think he should do is sit down with both sides. I mean, think the difference of what administration he gets to start with than what President Trump did.
Four years ago, there were people throughout the streets, and the Democrats were saying resist. Here you have Republicans saying let's work together to put people back to work, kids back in school. But President Joe Biden says let's give 11 million illegal immigrants citizenships while we have 10.7 million Americans out of work. Shouldn't we prioritize those Americans out of work first?
And those are places that I think you could find unity. He knows the agenda and those executive orders he is signing are partisan. That's dividing.
And I'm afraid that looking at this administration that this is the start, what more is there to come? You won't be able to unite this nation, and everybody believes the division needs to be united to make America stronger.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.
