After the bipartisan border security bill failed, the White House sent a Valentine’s Day message to House Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday, sparking jokes across social media.
Following tensions over the U.S-Mexico border, text of the much-hyped bill was released earlier this month, introducing what would be the most substantial border security reform in years, alongside aid packages for Ukraine and Israel among their ongoing wars with Russia and Hamas respectively.
The $118 billion deal would address key concerns at the southern border, however, the GOP-led House struck down the bill in the Senate last week, as conservative hardliners argue the bill does not go far enough to end illegal immigration into the U.S.
At least 60 “yes” votes were required to advance the bill to the House, where Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, had already declared the legislation “dead on arrival.”
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the White House shared a Valentine’s Day message aimed at Johnson as it wrote alongside a picture of the Republican,
“Roses are red, Violets are blue, The border deal was crushed, because of you” and captioned the post saying, “Happy Valentine’s Day, Speaker Johnson!”
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Newsweek has reached out to Johnson’s office and the White House via email for comment.
Since the Valentine’s post, some have taken to X to criticize and respond to the White House and the Biden administration’s message.
Former press secretary under Donald Trump, Sean Spicer wrote on X, “The White House account was hacked”.
Podcaster Derek Hunter slammed President Joe Biden’s age and the White House staff writing on X, “The President is 500 years old and his staff is 12.”
X user Paul A. Szypula wrote, “Joking about the border crisis that Joe Biden created is not funny. Shame on the White House. Biden has the ability right now to secure the border by using executive order. He has all the tools he needs. He just doesn’t have the will to act. Shame on Biden.”
However, others celebrated the message as X user Crushcommies420 said, “Whomever you just hired to run this account needs a damn raise. This is golden and so true.”
While X user Elgac161406 wrote, “Making my valentines day perfect!”
This comes as concerns over Trump weighing in on the border bill sparked claims that Johnson attempted to kill the border deal to help Trump, a claim Johnson previously rejected stating, “That’s absurd.”
“First, the most important job for the federal government is to protect its citizens, we are not doing that under President Biden. I have talked to former president Trump about this issue at length and he understands that, he understands we have a responsibility to do here,” Johnson added.
The former president has previously urged Republicans not to accept anything less than a “perfect” border deal before the general election in November, sparking questions about whether some Republicans are working to prevent Biden from scoring a victory by signing the border bill into law.
Immigration is among the top issues ahead of the 2024 presidential election, with polls showing doubts over Biden’s handling of the situation, on which Republican frontrunner Trump has promised tougher action.
However, this also comes as Biden is seemingly embracing tougher measures, including shutting down the U.S.-Mexico border, marking a shift from his earlier messaging as he has signaled that he’s open to “massive changes” on border policy.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.