GOP Senate Staffer Stormed Out of Border Talks Only to Be Ruthlessly Laughed At

AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite; AP Photo/Alex Brandon

Some Senate Republicans want to pass a bipartisan bill with their Democratic colleagues to deal with the crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border. But those Republicans are finding more resistance from within their own party — and are getting laughed out of the room.

A couple of political reporters on Capitol Hill — Andrew Desiderio of Punchbowl News and Henry Rogers of the Daily Caller — got word that the respective communications staffs of Senators Mike Lee (R-UT) and James Lankford (R-OK) held a meeting on Monday to discuss the bipartisan bill released by the Senate on Sunday. But it didn’t go well. In fact, it ended in one Lee staffer storming out of the room. Desiderio wrote on Twitter/X:

Fireworks at Senate GOP comms directors meeting this a.m. over border bill. After Sen Lankford’s team gave presentation on the bill & opened up for Q’s, Sen Lee’s staff was “yelling” at Lankford staff per multiple ppl in room. Lee aide eventually left room saying “betrayal”

Similarly, Rogers wrote:

I am told a Mike Lee staffer just blew up the GOP conference Comms meeting and stormed out. Among other invectives against the bill, he said that Senator Lankford might not want to get reelected, but the rest of their bosses do. Followed by applause.

But while that sounds like that staffer had his very own Mr. Smith Goes to Washington moment, it actually didn’t turn out very well for him. Both Rogers and Desiderio added in separate tweets that the staffer’s outburst and abrupt exit were immediately followed by raucous laughter. Wrote Desiderio:

I’m told those in the room “erupted in laughter” after the Lee aide stormed out.

And Rogers’ confirmation:

Another source tells me there was more laughter than applause inside the room after the staffer left the room…

So, border talks are going as well as you’d think…