CNBC “Squawk Box” host Joe Kernen confronted Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., over what Kernen described as a major shift in Democratic immigration enforcement between the Obama and Biden years — and whether that shift helped drive President Donald Trump’s return to power.
During the exchange, Kernen pointed to deportation figures he attributed to past administrations, arguing that Democrats previously supported large-scale removals but later embraced looser enforcement. He framed the issue as a political turning point, saying public frustration with border policy was a key reason Trump won.
Warner responded that the border situation under President Joe Biden was a political liability and agreed it should not have been “fully open.”
“Do I think we ought to not have a fully open border? Absolutely. I’ve said that all along,” Warner said.
Kernen then pressed Warner on what should be done about the millions who entered the U.S. during the Biden years and questioned why Democrats allowed the situation to reach that point. Warner drew a distinction between securing the border and what he characterized as indiscriminate interior enforcement, warning against sending agents “across the country” to pick up people who have committed no crime.
As Kernen compared enforcement numbers and argued Democrats underestimated voter anger, Warner maintained that the country needs a workable solution for those already living in the U.S., saying there should be “a path toward legality.”
The interview ended with the two still divided over the core question Kernen raised: why enforcement looked so different in recent years — and what political consequences that shift will carry into the 2026 midterms.
