University of Florida Students blamed former President Donald Trump for the ongoing crisis currently taking place on the U.S. southern border — until they learned that President Joe Biden called for an “immediate surge to the border” as a candidate.
Campus Reform reporter Ophelie Jacobson conducted a social experiment at the University of Florida, where she asked students who they believe is to blame for the crisis on the U.S. border: former President Trump or sitting President Biden.
“According to the Department of Homeland Security, this is the biggest migrant surge that our country has seen in 20 years,” Jacobson told the students. “Who do you think is to blame for the border crisis right now? Trump or Biden?”
All but one student in the video answered that Trump is to blame.
Watch Below:
“Trump,” said one student, who went on to elaborate, “he was the president for the past four years, so, basically, Biden has only been in office not even 100 days. Basically all the problems we have right now, like, he hasn’t had enough time to fix them yet. So you have to blame it on the past administration.”
“Trump’s [fault],” another student answered. “Because he just lacked a lot of empathy, and connection with, like, the stories that are happening, and the border.”
But when Jacobson told students that as a candidate, “Biden said that if he were to become president, he would encourage illegal immigrants to ‘immediately surge to the border,'” students appeared to change their stances with regards to who is to blame for the border crisis.
During a past Democrat presidential primary debate, Biden said that in addition to what the Obama administration supported with regards to “the DACA program,” and finding “a pathway for eleven million” illegals, “What I would do, as president, is several more things.”
“I would, in fact, make sure that there is — we immediately surge to the border all those people are seeking asylum,” Biden affirmed.
Jacobson also told students that migrants have been coming to the southern border “wearing Biden campaign shirts,” and “a lot of them, when they’re asked why they’re coming, they say because President Biden promised we would get through — that we would get free health care.”
“Even the Mexican president has blamed the surge on President Biden,” Jacobson added. “So knowing all this, knowing that it’s the biggest surge in 20 years, do you still believe that it is Trump’s fault?”
Several students responded by expressing that they had changed their opinions.
“No,” said one student. “The actual fact of it being the most amount of people, yeah, that is Biden’s fault. Because, like you said, the facts speak for themselves.”
“Now that you say that, then yeah, it makes sense that maybe Biden has a little bit more of an impact on it,” answered another student.
“Sure, I guess,” answered a third.
“If this is true, and all these people, or the majority of these people, came here following the announcement of Joe Biden, then yes, that’s his fault for the lack of communication,” a fourth student said.
Students also agreed that Biden may have moved too quickly in reversing Trump’s immigration policies, and should “consider going back” to some of them.
You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Facebook and Twitter at @ARmastrangelo, on Parler @alana, and on Instagram.
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