Fox News host Brian Kilmeade predicted on “Pod Force One” that Democrats, having lost repeatedly on border security as a political issue, will come to President Trump looking to strike a deal on immigration reform.
Speaking with host Miranda Devine, Kilmeade said Trump’s sweeping executive actions securing the US-Mexico border remain vulnerable to reversal by a future Democratic president, which he argued creates pressure on Trump himself to lock in a lasting agreement.
“We’re all gonna get whiplash, and it’s not good for anybody,” Kilmeade said. “So I really do think the president’s under pressure to … do a deal.”
Kilmeade said Democrats have concluded the border is no longer a winning issue for them. “I think the Democrats don’t want to deal with the border anymore,” he said. “They know it’s a loser for them … I think they’re going to tell the president, ‘You got the border. We’re going to need something for people here.'”
He suggested bipartisan support could form in the Democrat-controlled Congress next year for some form of legal status for migrants brought to the country as children, as well as long-term US residents without criminal records.
“There’s things that can be worked out where Republicans gonna have to bite their lip and Democrats gonna have to bite their lip,” Kilmeade said.
As part of any trade, Kilmeade suggested Democrats may have to accept mandatory voter ID laws and a bar on citizenship for illegal migrants in exchange for legal status concessions. “But the Democrats want it away,” he said. “They don’t wanna talk about it because it’s almost like, for them, it’s almost like men and women’s sports: They can’t win. So they want that issue to go away.”
2028 Field Taking Shape
Devine also pressed Kilmeade on potential 2028 Republican presidential contenders beyond the already-discussed tier of Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
“Josh Hawley’s gonna be out there,” Kilmeade said of the Missouri senator. “I think that’s gonna be pretty clear.”
He said Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton remains a possibility despite family considerations: “Tom Cotton, I think his kids are too young, but I wouldn’t say he’s not gonna do it.”
Kilmeade floated outgoing Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp as an option for Republicans who want some distance from Trump. “If people feel as though they wanna turn the page on MAGA — I think you could honestly say he wasn’t anti-MAGA, but him and Trump didn’t get along — so that might be enough distance, because people tend to get sick of the person in power after two terms,” Kilmeade said.
He also raised the possibility of a surprise entrant from outside politics, naming Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the current Health and Human Services secretary, as someone who “is still thinking about” a run. Kilmeade noted Trump administration insiders believe Kennedy’s ultimate goal is the presidency, and that any future bid would come as a Republican.
“He’s already took the slings and arrows and background checks from his family … what else can they throw at the guy?” Kilmeade said. “He’s certainly got the leadership and the charisma.”
Kilmeade additionally named Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama and Rep. Brandon Gill of Texas as lawmakers he sees as more likely candidates in later election cycles rather than 2028.
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