In a sign that even hardcore MAGA Republicans are being forced to distance themselves from Trump’s blatant corruption, Randy Fine was forced to concede that he was open to Elon and Melania being deported if they lied on their immigration paperwork.
The Daily is reader-supported journalism from outside the Beltway. You can support us by becoming a subscriber.
This led to a flurry of articles suggesting he was open to deporting Elon Musk and Melania Trump, as if Randy Fine had a backbone that wasn’t solidly adhered to Donald Trump’s bone spurs.
Representative Randy Fine (R-FL) was forced to concede that anyone who lied on their immigration paperwork should be denaturalized and deported after he was pushed by NewsNation anchor Nichole Berlie on Trump’s blatantly politicized abuse of power in the administration’s treatment of Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar.
“I believe that we should go back to 1990 and reevaluate everyone who has become a naturalized citizen,” Fine said in the interview. “I think Ilhan Omar needs to be the first; she certainly should not be the last.”
Berlie asked if that same standard of scrutiny should apply to other high-profile naturalized citizens with ties to the administration, specifically mentioning First Lady Melania Trump and billionaire Elon Musk.
Berlie pressed the Republican on his dodge and finally got a concession: “I think anyone who was not honest in their immigration paperwork.”
The MAGA Republican was quick to add, “I don’t know anything about the circumstances of the first lady or Elon Musk; I don’t know that there’s ever been allegations.”
Um, hello?
It’s a wonder that those of us not even in government and without a taxpayer funded staff to read things that might be pertinent to the job are aware of reporting by the Washington Post concerning questions about Elon Musk’s immigration status, yet not a single Republican seems to be cognizant of the issue.
Musk himself once described his past immigration status as a "gray area" during a 2013 conference, though he has consistently denied allegations that he worked illegally, writing on his platform that he was "in fact allowed to work in the US".