Jen Psaki admits Biden's border executive order meant to address 'political vulnerability' ahead of election

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MSNBC's Jen Psaki says Biden's border executive order will combat 'political vulnerability' ahead of election

MSNBC host Jen Psaki said her former boss President Biden's executive order curbing the migrant crisis is meant to address a ‘political vulnerability’ ahead of the election.

Former White House press secretary turned MSNBC host Jen Psaki admitted Wednesday that President Biden's executive order on the border is meant to address a major "political vulnerability" ahead of the 2024 election. 

The order will temporarily suspend the entry of non-citizens across the southern border once the average number of border encounters exceeds 2,500 a day over seven days, officials said. That will stay in effect until 14 days after there has been a seven-day average of less than 1,500 encounters along the border. 

Officials said it would make it easier for immigration officers to quickly remove individuals who do not have a legal basis to remain in the U.S.

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President Biden signed an executive order that would limit migrants seeking asylum who cross the southern border illegally at times when there is a high volume of daily encounters. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Appearing on MSNBC's "Morning Joe," Psaki spoke candidly about the president's political calculations. 

"I think there are a couple of things that are true at the same time," Psaki began. "One, the system, the border is broken for a range of reasons including security being broken at the border. The wall is not gonna fix—I mean, technology's advanced, I would say, over the past couple of decades. There's lots of technology that can be used to secure the border. That's part of what needs to happen. If you're in the minds of the White House, you want to do that. 

"Also, pairing with a more humane asylum system, which is completely broken and unfair to the people who are seeking asylum and trying to come across the border." 

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Former White House press secretary Jen Psaki admits President Biden's executive order addressing the border crisis is to combat a "political vulnerability" ahead of the election.  (Screenshot/MSNBC)

After blaming former President Trump for halting the bipartisan border bill earlier this year, Psaki insisted the White House knew it had to "do something" to address the migrant crisis. 

"There needs to be something that's done, but also, politically, this is one of the biggest vulnerabilities," Psaki said. "And regardless of who's mad about the details of what's in here and what isn't in here, it's a political vulnerability for the president and his campaign. They know that. They knew they would have to do something like an executive order before the election politically as well. And that's what we're seeing play out."

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People line up against a border wall as they wait to apply for asylum after crossing the border from Mexico near Yuma, Arizona, on July 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

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Biden has been facing an avalanche of criticism from both sides of the aisle over his executive order, with Republicans panning him for not taking action sooner and not curbing the migrant crisis enough, while progressive Democrats are linking his about face on the border to the policies of Trump.

Fox News' Adam Shaw contributed to this report.