Saturday, October 31, 2026 Vol. I · No. 10 · Morning Edition Print size
Election Day 3 days to Nov. 3 Make your plan → The GOP Files Receipts on the Republican-run Washington · Sourced · Dated · On the record On Instagram 444K plays and counting @thegopfiles →
The Wire
On tape: Republican Sen. Thom Tillis: "I believe that the House is lost." And he says Trump needs to own it. Democrats in tight races criticize Biden's border record in final weekend ads Rogers backed Trump's tariffs and Iran war. Now he says end the Canada fight and the war On tape: Rep. Steve Cohen: "More than half" of the Epstein files still have not been released. Qatari mediators go to Tehran to revive U.S.-Iran talks days before the midterms On tape: Trump says Scott Colom sits on a defund-the-police board. Colom: "I don't even sit on any boards right now." Rubio cancels G20 ministers' group photo after UK, Australia refuse to pose with Russia On tape: Goldman asks a sheriff about a murder victim's mother. His reply: "You're a degenerate." Tech selloff deepens Friday as Nasdaq has its worst day since June, days before midterms Hilton closes California governor bid by telling voters it's OK to vote Republican On tape: Republican Sen. Thom Tillis: "I believe that the House is lost." And he says Trump needs to own it. Democrats in tight races criticize Biden's border record in final weekend ads Rogers backed Trump's tariffs and Iran war. Now he says end the Canada fight and the war On tape: Rep. Steve Cohen: "More than half" of the Epstein files still have not been released. Qatari mediators go to Tehran to revive U.S.-Iran talks days before the midterms On tape: Trump says Scott Colom sits on a defund-the-police board. Colom: "I don't even sit on any boards right now." Rubio cancels G20 ministers' group photo after UK, Australia refuse to pose with Russia On tape: Goldman asks a sheriff about a murder victim's mother. His reply: "You're a degenerate." Tech selloff deepens Friday as Nasdaq has its worst day since June, days before midterms Hilton closes California governor bid by telling voters it's OK to vote Republican

Midterms 2026 · Report · File No. 261031-989

Democrats in tight races criticize Biden's border record in final weekend ads

Candidates in Texas, Kansas, Iowa, Pennsylvania and South Carolina are openly faulting Joe Biden on the border. They also say Trump's immigration enforcement has gone too far.

By the Campaign Desk · · 2 min read

Every quote in this story (2) was matched word for word against its source. How we work

James Talarico
James Talarico. Photo: Antonioaesparza, CC BY-SA 4.0

Democratic candidates in battleground races are openly criticizing Joe Biden's handling of the border. NBC News reports they are trying to blunt an issue Republicans have used against them. The comments come as voters head to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 3 1.

In Texas, Senate nominee James Talarico is running an ad in a neck-and-neck race against Republican Ken Paxton. In it, he says he called out Biden for failing on the border 1. In July he said Biden had "failed us on our southern border" as he released his own border security plan 1.

Candidates pair the critique with a warning on Trump

In Kansas, Democrat Adam Hamilton faced Republican Sen. Roger Marshall in a debate. Hamilton called the border under Biden a disaster. He then said the response since has been a disaster for people across Kansas 1.

I want to be crystal clear, first of all: Immigration at the border under Biden was a disaster. That is how we ended up where we are today,
Adam Hamilton, Democratic Senate candidate, Kansas1

In Pennsylvania, House candidate Paige Cognetti, who is challenging Republican Rep. Rob Bresnahan, said at a Thursday debate that "The Biden administration did fail." She added that pathways to citizenship are needed 1. In South Carolina, Senate candidate Annie Andrews said in a debate, "Democrats have failed on the border" 1.

From Channel GOPTalarico: Elon Musk is trying to buy Texas Senate seatJames Talarico · 142 plays · captioned, with the source named

Iowa Senate candidate Josh Turek traveled more than 800 miles to Laredo, Texas, to film a border ad. He says he voted with Republicans to let law enforcement arrest and deport criminals 1.

Why the shift

Biden's ratings on the border fell during a surge in crossings, and Trump used that issue successfully in 2024, NBC reports 1. Republicans still accuse Democrats of favoring "open borders" to rally their base and win swing voters 1.

But Democrats are also pressing a second point. Polls show many Americans have soured on Trump's handling of immigration after immigration officers fatally shot two Americans in Minnesota and one in Maine this year 1. Trump's approval rating has fallen to 38%, though border security remains one of his best issues 1.

Democratic pollster Celinda Lake called the distancing "very smart." She said the best message pairs some control of the border with a humanitarian process for immigration 1.

ICE has gone too far, and that has backfired now.
Celinda Lake, Democratic pollster1

Talarico made a similar case on Oct. 14 at a Fort Worth town hall hosted by CNN and Jubilee Media. He cited "utter chaos along our southern border during the Biden administration." He also said, "We were told that ICE was gonna go after violent criminals." ICE is Immigration and Customs Enforcement 2.

Paxton, the Texas attorney general, has his own message. His campaign website says he will help Trump deport "criminal illegal aliens Joe Biden invited into the country" 2.

What happens next

Voters decide Tuesday whether this two-sided message works. In Texas, Johnny Garcia is running in the redrawn 35th Congressional District. He has criticized Trump's ICE raids as harmful to the economy. He also said Biden "got it wrong on the border" 1.

That matters because it shows where Democrats think the ground is. They want to be tough on border crossings and critical of Trump's enforcement tactics at the same time. Whether voters believe both halves is what Tuesday will answer.

The Record

  1. A smuggling case in south San Antonio ended with 53 migrants dead in a locked trailer, which Democrat Johnny Garcia cites as a Biden-era failure 1.
  2. Talarico says Biden 'failed us on our southern border' as he rolls out his own border security plan 1.
  3. Talarico cites 'utter chaos along our southern border during the Biden administration' at a Fort Worth town hall 2.
  4. Cognetti says 'The Biden administration did fail' at a debate against Rep. Rob Bresnahan 1.

Sources

  1. NBC News, “2026 Democratic candidates throw Joe Biden under the bus on the border” (2026-10-31). nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/2026-democratic-candidate
  2. The National News Desk via KMPH, “Texas Democrat Talarico says Biden failed on border security” (2026-10-15). kmph.com/news/nation-world/texas-democrat-james-talarico-say

Found an error? Tell the newsroom. Corrections are noted at the top of the story.

More from the files

Delivered free to your door*

The Morning Edition

One short email at 7 a.m. Eastern: the day's top files, one clip worth your time, and the race to watch. Plain English, large type, no clutter.

*Your inbox. Free. Unsubscribe with one click, any time.