Overview
- Speaking on The Tim Dillon Show on Oct. 22, Bernie Sanders said, "If you don’t have any borders, you don’t have a nation," adding that Trump "did a better job" securing the border than Joe Biden.
- The clip spread widely on X and YouTube and was reposted by the RNC’s research account, drawing praise from conservatives and sharp criticism from progressive voices such as Mehdi Hasan.
- Coverage cited DHS data released in early October reporting unlawful crossings at their lowest level in more than 50 years after Trump reimposed stricter measures including rapid expulsions, expedited deportations, added barriers, and troop deployments.
- Sanders’ stance represents a tonal shift from past remarks in which he rejected "open borders" rhetoric yet downplayed talk of a border crisis during the 2019–2020 period.
- The senator made the remarks while promoting his book, Fight Oligarchy, as some Democrats such as Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker have also acknowledged that crossings have fallen since Trump returned to office.