Rep. Val Hoyle, a Democrat from Oregon, declined to answer a reporter’s question about the job Vice President Kamala Harris has done as “border czar.” Instead, she blamed former President Trump for the current state of the border.
“I think Donald Trump stopped us from having good border policy,” Hoyle said on Thursday when asked if VP Harris did a “good job” as border czar.
When pressed again about Harris’ record, Hoyle repeated her claim that Trump was responsible for the border situation, refusing to answer questions about the vice president’s performance.
Hoyle joined a growing list of House Democrats running for re-election in November who have either declined to answer questions on Harris’ record on the border or claimed that Harris was not actually the border czar, despite numerous outlets referring to her with that title for several years.
Harris was tasked by President Biden in 2021 with addressing the root causes of mass migration from Central and South America. Since then, Democrats and the White House have been distancing themselves from Harris as she emerges as a presumptive Democratic nominee for president.
The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) criticized Hoyle’s comments, accusing her of rewriting history to protect Harris.
“Val Hoyle’s deranged attempt to rewrite history proves she’s beholden to Border Czar Kamala Harris, but afraid of Oregonians holding her accountable for the border crisis,” said NRCC spokesperson Ben Petersen. “Hoyle’s delusional views endanger Oregon families with surging crime and fentanyl trafficking.”
Hoyle is running for re-election in Oregon’s 4th Congressional District, where she won by 7.5 points in 2022. The Cook Political Report ranks her race as “likely Democrat.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Hoyle’s office for comment but did not receive a response.
