Cao, Parkinson, and Emord Oppose One Of The Toughest Border Bills In Modern History Supported By Two In Three Americans 

Richmond, VA – The Republican Senate candidates have repeatedly called for border reform yet are against the very legislation that would secure our border and crack down on fentanyl trafficking. The bipartisan border bill is the strongest border reform legislation seen in a generation and had large bipartisan support before Donald Trump instructed Republicans to kill it. And once Donald Trump said to jump, every GOP Senate candidate asked: how high? 

Here’s what the Senate Republican candidates think about the bipartisan border bill (after Trump told them what to say): 

• When asked by John Fredericks if he would vote for the bill, Hung Cao called the bill “ridiculous” and said, “I would shut this thing down.” In early February he called the bill “crap” and “garbage,” adding that he would not vote for it.  
• In May last year, Scott Parkinson called for various border and immigration reforms, including asylum, visas, and the physical border wall. However, in January he took to X to “strongly oppose” the bipartisan border bill. Parkinson also reposted an Elon Musk post calling it a “diabolical” bill that “deserved to die.” 
• Jonathan Emord said he wanted the border to be secure, but he called the bipartisan border bill a “real horror” that would be “destroying American nationalism.” 

It is crystal clear that the Republican Senate candidates do not actually care about border security or the safety of Virginians. They only care about scoring political points and cozying up to Trump at any cost. Their position is out-of-the-mainstream, with two in three Americans supporting the border bill, according to a Navigator survey. But since Trump doesn’t support the bill, the Republican Senate candidates are choosing to side with Trump instead of Virginians. 

“The GOP Senate candidates have made their position clear: they will jeopardize the safety of Virginians to pledge their undying loyalty to Donald Trump,” said DPVA Chairwoman Susan Swecker. “Virginians want leaders who will work across party lines and keep them safe, not the self-serving politics of MAGA extremists like Hung Cao, Scott Parkinson, and Jonathan Emord." 

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