It is 23 days until the first debate and five months until the presidential election. Today, President Biden bit the bullet and announced an executive order about securing the border.

Speaker Johnson said it is a weak executive order, window dressing. He's not wrong.

For three and one-half years, Biden, his border czar (ahem!) Kamala Harris, Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas, and the White House press secretary have told Americans that the border is closed, it is secure. Never mind the daily live shots along the southern border showing streams of illegal immigrants flooding into the United States. The scenes can be seen every day on Fox News Channel. They invade Texas, Arizona, and California every day. Sometimes, New Mexico, too. 

The question is why now? In 2023, all-time record numbers of illegal immigrants were apprehended along the southern border. As I mentioned above, it's five months until the presidential election, that's why. Immigration, border security, and the economy are the top issues for voters this year. Biden is deeply underwater in those categories. 

In a recent Fox News poll, Biden has an approval rating of 33% for his handling of the border. 64% disapprove. 

Biden's team pulled out all the stops. They surrounded him with people in uniforms, mayors, governors, and others. He began his announcement by blaming Republicans and Trump for his failed border security bill in the Senate. 

Biden conflated legal immigration with illegal immigration, as Democrats do. We are a nation of immigrants - it's supposed to be legal immigrants. 

Suddenly, the need to act is urgent for Biden. He said Congressional Republicans should do their part. He took one shouted question from the press and it was about the war against Hamas. When he finished reading off the teleprompter, he looked over at the staff and asked if he was taking questions. Can you imagine Trump doing that? Of course not. Trump will stand and take questions all day long. Biden speaks and then scurries out of the room. 

Biden mumbled off some numbers - additional personnel and equipment along the border - that he is making available now. All of it is what he could have done anytime along the way over the past almost four years. He opened the border on his first day in office. He could have closed it the same way at any point.

Biden leaves in place accepting all unaccompanied minors and allowing them to remain in the United States. The strain these children are putting on school systems across the country is astronomical. More than one trillion dollars has been spent by school districts around the country to handle the 'newcomers.' 

Migrants will still be allowed to use the CBP One app to make appointments and come through a legal port of entry. The allowance for 30,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela is still in place. It is a parole system that allows them to fly into the United States and stay here. 

"Doing nothing is not an option." When that came out of Biden's mouth, I chuckled out loud. Doing nothing is exactly what he has done for his entire term in office. 

Illegal immigrants who claim 'fear' will be allowed to request asylum. The people trying to flood the border will hear that and respond accordingly. They aren't stupid. 

Biden's plan was short on details. There was nothing mentioned about the 1,850,000 gotaways who have scattered across the country. We don't know where they are, who they are, or what they have planned. 

There is a limit of 2500 apprehensions per day, Biden said. He didn't say how that will be measured, though. Twice that number came across the border yesterday. There will be no processing until the number goes back down to 1500. Biden didn't say where the migrants who are not processed will go. He spoke vaguely about cooperating with the new president of Mexico. She is reported to be much like the current president, or more of a socialist. The current president has been complicit in the border chaos. 

Republicans have put forth legislation to secure the border and to ease the invasion of illegal immigrants. It's all been ignored. To hear Biden blame his failures on Republicans and Trump, who isn't in office, is all a bit rich.

Biden claimed to have bipartisan support with him as he spoke. I didn't see any bipartisan legislators, though. If Congress is the solution, that doesn't bode well for the months ahead. Some lawmakers in tough re-election races deliberately avoided the event. 

• The White House invited all Democratic senators to join Biden at an event announcing the new executive actions. But at least Sens. Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nevada), and Bob Casey (D-Penn.) — all of whom are seeking re-election in battleground states — will not attend.

Progressives are squawking. They want the open border status quo. The ACLU has already said it will file a lawsuit.

BREAKING: The Biden administration just announced an executive order that will severely restrict people's legal right to seek asylum, putting tens of thousands of lives at risk.

This action takes the same approach as the Trump administration's asylum ban. We will be challenging…

— ACLU (@ACLU) June 4, 2024

Lawsuits will slow the process. That means this executive order will not go into effect any time soon. Probably not until after the election, if then. 

Don't look for any real changes. Biden is an unserious man who is facing a defeat in November. That is all he cares about - his re-election. He has damaged our country greatly during his time in office. The only hope is for Trump to win in November and put Trump's policies back in place.