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On January 16, 2026, Fox News aired a blunt assessment from Federalist editor Mollie Hemingway: Democrats trying to paper over the border catastrophe would be making a grave political mistake, because President Trump won by promising to clean up the immigration mess. Hemingway reminded viewers that voters remember who ran on securing the border and who left it open, a simple fact that could define the midterms if Republicans keep hammering the issue. The clip made clear that the border is not an abstract policy debate for everyday Americans — it is about safety, jobs, and the rule of law.
Democrats will try the usual playbook — downplay the crisis, blame rhetoric, and pivot to culture-war issues — but that strategy only works until voters step into the reality of fentanyl, overwhelmed communities, and skyrocketing encounters at the border. Even some Democrats in border states are admitting the crisis exists, and their silence in Washington is being used against them by voters who see empty promises and political theater. Americans are tired of sound bites; they want results, and the record of the last few years gives Republicans a powerful contrast to run on.
Hemingway and other conservatives rightly point out that sensible, enforceable policies existed and worked better under the previous administration, and that the current policy of willful laxity has consequences no one should ignore. Republicans should remind the country that laws and incentives matter — asylum loopholes, incentives for child trafficking, and porous ports of entry are not accidents, they are policy failures that can be fixed. If Democrats think voters will reward handing out amnesty while ignoring law and order, they are underestimating the patriotism and common-sense instincts of hard-working Americans.
Politically, Democrats also face the awkward reality that they have little to offer on the one issue most voters rank as a top concern, and many have already alienated moderate swing voters by backing tax increases while refusing border fixes. Mollie noted that this combination — higher taxes and no serious border security — is a toxic message to sell in midterm battlegrounds where parents, teachers, and small-business owners want safe streets and predictable budgets. If Republicans keep playing offense on sovereignty and security, Democrats will be forced to answer for years of neglect.
Conservatives must keep the pressure on: demand real funding for border enforcement, close the legal loopholes that invite exploitation, and call out the political theater for what it is. Hemingway even suggested that a temporary tightening — making the pain of neglect visible — can be the only way to force meaningful action from lazy elites who never feel the consequences of an open border. Patriots across this country should stand united behind common-sense measures that defend our communities, our economy, and the rule of law, and remind Democrats that voters will not be fooled by polished talking points when their neighborhoods are at risk.
