As President Joe Biden prepares to deliver his State of the Union address on Thursday, federal authorities have constructed an imposing 8-foot black wall surrounding the U.S. Capitol Building.
The fortified security measures have drawn sharp criticism from Republicans, who contrast the heavily guarded Capitol complex with Biden’s open border policies at the southern border.
For years, Biden claimed walls won’t work to secure the U.S.-Mexico border. But when it comes to securing his State of the Union address, it seems that walls work great.
The Capitol wall, approved by the Capitol Police Board, will be heavily monitored by law enforcement to protect the Capitol from potential threats during Biden’s high-profile speech.
Republicans argue this stands in stark contrast to the record number of illegal immigrants – estimated at 1.7 million “gotaways” – who have entered the United States under the Biden administration’s open border policies.
“Democrats are happy to spend taxpayer money on building a wall to secure Biden and other D.C. elites, but they refuse to continue funding for Trump’s border wall that was being built to keep the American people safe,” Alex Bruesewitz told Breitbart News. “At least they concede that walls work.”
Rep. Tom Tiffany posted a video on social media platform blasting the wall as the embodiment of hypocrisy from the Biden administration.
Take a look —
Joe Biden has a fence up to protect him during the #SOTU tonight.
But won’t finish the wall at our southern border to protect Americans.
Protection for him, not for us. pic.twitter.com/1dx85hWigM
— Rep. Tom Tiffany (@RepTiffany) March 7, 2024
The fortified wall, plastered with warning signs declaring the area off-limits, will remain in place for five days after Biden’s address, underscoring the extent of the security bubble insulating Washington’s political class.
Conservatives argue this glaring disconnect exemplifies a hypocritical lack of concern for the safety and security of average Americans.
“It’s disappointing to be reminded that our elected officials are only ever interested and urgent about putting up walls when it’s to protect themselves,” said conservative activist Vish Burra.
“The American People are screaming for a border wall to protect our country, and these same elected officials either pretend like they can’t hear those screams or even worse, they genuinely don’t care.”
The wall for Washington elites comes as U.S. citizens grapple with threats to public safety exacerbated by the border crisis. Just recently, an illegal immigrant was charged in a horrific case of rape, kidnapping, and assault in northern Virginia – a stark reminder of the human costs of unchecked illegal immigration.
While Biden and lawmakers enjoy preferential security, “Biden won’t protect Americans from unvetted, violent migrants, but he’ll build a fortress around the Capitol grounds to keep out Americans?” questioned conservative leader Mike Davis.
The heavily fortified Capitol has even drawn criticism from the left, with D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton arguing the imposing wall “entrench(es) the distance” between governing elites and the people they’re meant to serve.
As Biden uses his speech to try resetting his struggling 2024 campaign, the glaring optics of the militarized Capitol could reinforce a narrative of an administration more concerned with insulating itself from the public it governs than addressing core concerns like border security and public safety.
The Horn editorial team